A DIOCESE in Northern Ireland has made a payment to a compensation scheme for survivors of historical abuse at religious and state-run institutions.
First Minister of Northern Ireland, Michelle O’Neill has confirmed that a contribution has been received from the Diocese of Down and Connor towards the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Redress Scheme.
This payment, which follows a contribution from the De La Salle Order in September of this year, relates specifically to homes they managed jointly with the Order.
“We welcome this second payment relating to these homes,” Ms O’Neill said.
Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill has welcomed the contribution“Following recent commitments from the Good Shepherd Sisters and Barnardo’s it is encouraging to see constructive dialogue with the institutions gaining momentum.”
She added: “While financial compensation can never address the pain suffered by victims and survivors of historical abuse, each contribution represents an acknowledgment of responsibility that is essential to the healing process.”
Over the summer The Good Shepherd Sisters religious order and the Barnardo’s charity each made a payment into the scheme.
Both organisations were found to have systematically failed children in its care by the Hart Report, released in 2017.
At the time, the Hart Inquiry, led by Sir Anthony Hart, was the largest-scale investigation into the mistreatment of children in the UK.
It examined allegations of abuse at 22 institutions in operation across the North between 1922 and 1995 and found widespread mistreatment among them.
Among those found to have failed the children in their care were the De La Salle Order, Sisters of Nazareth, Good Shepherd Sisters, Sisters of St Louis, Barnardo’s and Irish Church Missions.
In 2019 a compensation scheme was set up for survivors of the institutions that featured in the Report.
The Report also recommended a public apology be made to victims and survivors by the Northern Irish Government, although the collapse of Stormont in the intervening years meant this did not happen until 2022.
Deputy First Minister Emma Little-PengellyFollowing the payment by the Diocese of Down and Connor, Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, said victims and survivors “continue to live with the lasting impacts of abuse and trauma”, before adding that “holding those responsible to account is vital in their journey towards healing”.
She said: “We appreciate the Diocese of Down and Connor’s contribution, and the De La Salle Order’s continued cooperation.
“Our commitment is to ensure a fair and balanced approach to discussions with all institutions.
“We remain focused on reaching agreements on further contributions and will publish details of all payments once the process has concluded.”
Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly also reminded all victims and survivors who have yet to apply to the HIA Redress Board to do so as soon as possible.
The deadline for applications to be made to the redress scheme falls in April 2025.