The Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD has criticised Education Minister Helen McEntee for what he described as her ‘cold attitude’ towards survivors of industrial schools who are currently on their tenth day of hunger strike outside the Dáil.
Speaking today, Deputy Tóibín said: “We in Aontú have met with the hunger strikers outside the Dáil today. They are very decent people, who have some very reasonable demands for the government. They are people who were taken away from their families at an early age, sent to industrial schools by court order, and then oftentimes forced to work, as nannies for families, as labour on farms or indeed in hotels. They were never paid for this work. It was an incredible injustice and cruelty and to think that because they weren’t paid, they are now not entitled to a full contributory pension. Another of their asks is in relation to a specific medical card, like what is provided under the Health Amendment Act HAA, but which would cover costs of dental treatment, counselling and so on”.
Deputy Tóibín continued: “These survivors have complex medical needs given the psychological trauma they experienced as children and young people, but also the extent their health was neglected for the period they were in State care. It’s estimated that there are only about 4,000 such survivors still alive in Ireland at present. The costs associated with their demands would be minuscule”.
“I find it incredible that despite being made aware of the hunger strike last Monday, the Minister did not respond to a request for a meeting until Friday and did not meet with them until yesterday. At the meeting she had nothing new or concrete to offer them. I’m extremely concerned for the wellbeing of these survivors as they are now well into the tenth day of their hunger strike and are showing no signs of giving up”, concluded Tóibín.
