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Five religious orders failed to contribute to mother-and-baby home survivors

Chris Page and Kevin Sharkey
BBC News NI
PA Media Norma Foley has short brown hair and wears a white jacket and black top. She has pearl earrings. She looks off camera PA Media
Minister for Children Norma Foley, pictured in September, is "deeply disappointed" by the lack of financial contributions

Religious orders linked to a historical mother and baby scandal in Ireland have been asked to "reflect further" on their responsibilities.

It comes as the Irish government said that that five out of eight religious organisations have not offered any contribution to a compensation scheme to survivors of institutions for unmarried mothers, following a negotiation process.

Just one of the eight religious bodies have offered a "meaningful" financial contribution towards compensation for survivors.

A report on the negotiation, which lasted for 20 months, has been published.

'Deeply disappointed'

The Irish government has accepted a cash contribution of about €13m (£11.1m) from the Bon Secours Sisters, which is in line with the negotiator's determination of a meaningful contribution.

It is considering an offer of a building from the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul.

The government has agreed that the minister should consider this offer and engage further with the congregation.

The Sisters of St John of God offered a conditional donation of €75,000 (£64,000) to be used as a donation towards a charitable purpose associated with survivors.

The remaining bodies - The Congregation of Lady of the Good Shepherd, The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, The Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, The Legion of Mary, and The Church of Ireland (Representative Church Body) - did not offer any contribution.

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, said she was "deeply disappointed".

Given that the negotiator could not compel the bodies to offer contributions, she said that she would ask the Irish Attorney General to consider if the government had any further options in that regard.

The Irish Government has previously apologised for what happened to women and their children in Mother and Baby homes.

An €800m (£683m) redress scheme established by the Irish Government is the biggest redress scheme in the country's history

More than 30,000 people are believed to be eligible for the scheme but to date only around 6000 have applied.

Some of the of the remaining survivors may be in the United Kingdom or in other parts of the world and the Irish government has appealed to them to come forward to apply for the payments scheme.