TWO institutions have made payments into Northern Ireland’s redress scheme for victims of historical abuse.
The Good Shepherd Sisters religious order and the Barnardo’s charity both made a payment into the scheme over the summer, the Northern Ireland executive has confirmed.
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 mistreatement 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.
Following a further recommendation by the Hart Report, Paul Sweeney was appointed Independent Facilitator to liaise with the relevant institutions as to the appropriate financial contributions to be made to the HIA Redress Board and specialist support services.
The Northern Ireland Executive Office received a contribution from Barnardo’s, based on the first three years of Redress Board determinations, in August 2024, it confirmed this week.
The Good Shepherd Sisters made a payment, based on the first three years of Redress Board determinations, in April 2024.
A second payment, relating to the fourth year of Redress Board determinations, was received in July 2024.
First Minister Michell O’Neill has welcomed the two contributions to the fund, claiming “victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse continue to live with the terrible trauma which was inflicted on them”.
“There is no amount of compensation which will ever make up for how they were failed but we have listened to them, and we know that for many, financial contributions from institutions are an important matter of accountability,” she explained.
“This is, therefore, a welcome move by The Good Shepherd Sisters and Barnardo’s.
“It is important that this momentum is maintained. Discussions with the other institutions are continuing with a view to reaching agreement on their respective contributions towards the cost of redress and specialist services.”
Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, added: “We are very conscious of the very personal, difficult and unique challenges that many victims and survivors of historical abuse face as a result of their lived experience and the importance of holding those responsible to account.
“We acknowledge the contributions from Barnardo’s and The Good Shepherd Sisters and welcome their continued cooperation and constructive engagement.”
She added: “Our priority remains securing a fair and equitable approach that meets the needs of victims and survivors.
“As Ministers, we will do all we can to ensure that discussions with all institutions remain constructive and will continue working towards agreeing further contributions as a matter of priority.”
Both ministers have encouraged all victims and survivors who intend to make an application to the Redress Board to do so before the April 2025 deadline.
