Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse

15/12/2025

📣We’re highlighting Organisations with targeted Supports and Services for Survivors and Affected Persons

Connect Counselling Service is a free telephone counselling and support service for any adult who has experienced abuse, trauma or neglect in childhood.
You can talk in confidence with a trained counsellor who can listen or help with questions you have.

📞 To speak to a counsellor call freephone:
- Republic of Ireland: 1800 477 477
- UK and NI Freephone number: 0800 0488 023
- International callers: +3531 683 3357 – charges will apply for calls to this number

08/12/2025

📣Keep In Touch: Our Latest Newsletter From The Special Advocate Office Is Live.

We published our latest edition of the Special Advocate Newsletter.

This is sent by email to anyone registered on our mailing list.

📧 sign up to the mailing list: www.specialadvocate.ie/newsletter-sign-up

🔗 read this edition, and our previous editions on the special advocate website: www.specialadvocate.ie/resources/our-newsletter

05/12/2025

The Special Advocate for Survivors, Patricia Carey, has responded to the recent update on 5th December 2025 from the Office of the Director of Authorised Intervention Tuam (ODAIT) in relation to infant or child remains at the site of Tuam Mother and Baby Institution.

The Special Advocate acknowledges that the confirmed identification of infant or child remains at the site of the Tuam Mother and Baby Institution is a deeply upsetting and painful development for Survivors and their families today. Patricia expresses her sympathy to all those affected by this update at Tuam, in particular to those Survivors who have been seeking information on their family members for decades.

🔗 Read the full Press Release and Public Statement here: www.specialadvocate.ie/resources/press-releases-and-public-statements-from-the-special-advocate

Since her appointment as Special Advocate, Dignified Burial and Memorialisation, both local and national, has been a key issue raised with the Special Advocate by many Survivors and Affected Persons, Survivor Groups, family members, and other stakeholders.

It is the position of the Special Advocate that:

-All institutional sites where there are unidentified burial grounds must be fully investigated to ensure the identification, preservation and marking in a dignified and agreed manner with Survivors and their families of all remaining burial sites of children and adults who died in institutions.

-A Human Rights-based approach is required from Government, ensuring equal access to redress measures, including Dignified Burial and Memorialisation, for all Survivors across all Institutions

Keep in touch with the Special Advocate Office
📧 [email protected]
📞 +353 (0)1 511 7660
🌐 www.specialadvocate.ie

28/11/2025

Keep In Touch !

The Special Advocate Office publishes a newsletter with updates on the work of the office, and other information for Survivors and Affected Persons.

The December Edition will be arriving shortly.

📬 Join our mailing list to receive the newsletter directly to your email: https://www.specialadvocate.ie/newsletter-sign-up/

📑 Read previous editions:
https://www.specialadvocate.ie/resources/our-newsletter/

26/11/2025

The Special Advocate welcomes the recent statement from Claire Kerrane TD.

In her role as Special Advocate, Patricia continues to raise the collective issues and experiences shared with her by Survivors and Affected Persons.

The Exclusions of the Mother and Baby Payment Scheme continues to be one of the main issues raised with the office, and the low uptake in applications is also of significant concern.

The position of the Special Advocate is that all of the exclusions are discriminatory and unjust, and the State should re-examine and revise the current legislation with a view to expanding the scheme.

🔗 Read the 2024 annual report here: www.specialadvocate.ie/our-work/annual-report/

https://sinnfein.ie/news/further-underspend-should-see-mother-and-baby-institutions-payment-scheme-expanded-claire-kerrane-td/

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Children Claire Kerrane has told Minister Foley that the further underspend on the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme should see it expanded now. Revised Estimates discussed at the Oireachtas Children’s Committee showed an underspend of...

20/11/2025

Testimony will be shown in Irish and UK cinemas from 21st November.

TESTIMONY follows the courageous fight for justice by Survivors of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Home institutions. It captures the determination of these women, supported by the advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR) to hold the Irish government accountable for decades of institutional abuse.

🍿 Further details, including screening times and dates are available at: https://jfmresearch.com/testimony/

🎥 Read about the film here: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35629430/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

🎬 Watch the trailer for Testimony here: https://youtu.be/n5_AA2h6dAM?si=M2u_j69U2wwLBizf

20/10/2025

📢 Free Online Webinar: Irish Government Action Plan for Survivors of Ireland’s Institutions

Topics covered:
• Applying to the Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme
• Pre-tracing of family members and search & reunion support

🗓 Date & Time: Tuesday, 21st October | 10:30am – 12:30pm (via Zoom)

🎟 Booking: Visit the Learning and Development section of Barnardos Ireland’s website: https://tinyurl.com/bdnxww4f or call Patrick at Fréa Renewing Roots on +44 7432 138 682.

🌍 Who should attend?
• Survivors of Ireland’s institutions seeking to apply for the Payment Scheme or access pre-tracing and reunion support.
• Advice and support workers assisting Irish people affected by institutional history.

✨ Delivered by Fréa Renewing Roots, Coventry Irish Society, London Irish Centre, and Barnardos Ireland.

Consulate General of Ireland, Manchester Irish Embassy London Birmingham Irish Association Ashford Place - Cricklewood Irish Community Services Irish Community Care Irish Community Care Manchester Leeds Irish Health and Homes Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse

10/10/2025

Tomorrow, Barnardos are hosting a support/information meeting in Dublin for fathers whose children have been adopted.

This will be a confidential support meeting and may be of interest be of interest to men who would like to explore what it means to have contact with an adult adopted child, and for those who already have had contact or who are just seeking information and support around search and reunion.

To read more visit: 🔗 https://www.barnardos.ie/events/dublin-support-information-meeting-for-birthfathers-whose-children-have-been-adopted/

⏰When: October 11 2025 at 11:30

To register, please contact Barnardos:
📞Phone: 01 453 0355
📧Email: [email protected]

06/10/2025

Join The Special Advocate Mailing List

🔗 https://www.specialadvocate.ie/newsletter-sign-up/

This is used by the office of the Special Advocate for Survivors to contact people by email to issue communications from the Special Advocate for Survivors, Patricia Carey.

We will also keep in touch with information about upcoming events, consultations and the work of the office.

23/09/2025

The Special Advocate is extremely concerned at the Hunger Strike by Survivors of Industrial School and Reformatory Institutions which commenced at midnight on Sunday 21 September.

Ms Carey said her key concern relates to the health and well-being of those planning to take this course of action. She is calling on the Department of Education to continue to engage in dialogue and meet with the five Survivors to ensure a speedy resolution to the issues they have raised.

She said :
“Survivors of institutions should not have to resort to this extreme action in order to receive proper state supports”

The Special Advocate has been vocal throughout the passage of the Supports for Survivors of Residential Abuse legislation that it is not fit for purpose.

All Survivors and Affected Persons who were abused while resident in industrial school or reformatories and other institutions subject to state regulation or inspection should be included in the provision of services and supports under this recently passed legislation. These supports should not be limited to only those who previously received redress under the Residential Institutions Redress Act.

Health and Housing supports in the Act are not adequate for the needs of Survivors and Affected Persons. Survivors and Affected Persons can be particularly marginalised and vulnerable in their health and housing status.

The Special Advocate supports Survivors who are calling for the Health Amendment Act (HAA) card which gives people access to more supports and services than the ‘enhanced’ medical card and included this as a recommendation in her first Annual Report, published earlier this year.

Medical supports for Survivors and Affected Persons must include enhanced health and caring supports, especially to ensure they can stay living at home and are not re-institutionalised in later life. The supports for overseas Survivors must also be significantly increased.

The Special Advocate calls for Survivors and Affected Persons to be given additional weighting and enhanced priority for social housing on local authority and housing body waiting lists.

The Special Advocate also supports Survivors and Affected Persons who have called for access to a shared Memorialisation fund to allow applications from Survivors and Survivor groups wishing to create local memorials and organise Survivor groups to gather.

It is unfair and exclusionary to further discriminate against Survivors of Residential Abuse who, through no fault of their own were unable to apply or who were unaware of previous redress schemes. The exclusion of any Survivor from the support provisions outlined in the Act further enforces the lack of justice for all Survivors.

Ms Carey recently met with the Survivor group in Limerick along with Department of Education officials. She is calling for further meetings to explore an agreement to end the hunger strike.

11/09/2025

The Special Advocate for Survivors, in partnership with Galway City Museum and the National Museum of Ireland invites you to a special evening of connection and culture! Enjoy a private museum tour, a conversation on the work of museums with the National Museum of Ireland and Galway City Museum, live traditional music, and light refreshments. Tickets are free of charge however places are limited, and booking is essential. Please contact the Special Advocate Office if you have any questions and to secure your place.
More community events are planned for later this year so make sure to keep an eye on our website and page for updates! We hope that you can join us for this special evening!

10/09/2025

The Special Advocate wants to ensure that Survivors who have in the past been ‘over consulted and under delivered’ have key roles to play and give their lived experience and insights to structures, services and government initiatives that directly affect their lives.

She encourages Survivors and Affected Persons living in Ireland and Overseas to submit an Expression Of Interest Form.

If you are a survivor or person affected by Ireland’s institutional past, or historic adoption practices, you can apply to take part in the National Centre for Research and Remembrance Steering Group, the National Museum of Ireland’s Lived Experience Panel, and the Special Advocate’s Advisory Council.

The voices of those most directly affected are central to these structures. Your input is welcome and important.

For more information, please visit gov.ie/survivorengagement. Here, you will also find details of how to apply. The closing date for applications is 19 September 2025.