Special Advocate for Survivors of Institutional Abuse Patricia Carey has described the State's treatment of four people who are hunger striking outside the Dáil as "quite unedifying".
It comes as four survivors of residential abuse on hunger strike outside the Dáil have said they "won't budge" and will continue their protest until their contributory pension and medical card demands are met.
Group member Maurice Patton O'Connell, from Cahersiveen in Co Kerry, outlined the protesters views to RTÉ News today, saying: "We're not stopping, we've come too far now."
The four hunger strikers have been protesting outside of Leinster House for 11 days in a bid to see their requests for State support in response to what happened to them in industrial and reformatory schools met.
Specifically, the group wants individuals to be awarded a Health Amendment Act (HAA) card and a State contributory pension in response to what happened to them in their childhood and the consequences of this to their lives.
'Deeply upsetting for them and their families'
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Ms Carey said: "The impact of sleeping outside in a tent in the wind and rain, not eating, being re-traumatised by constantly having to retell their institutional abuse experiences is deeply upsetting for them and for their families.
"It's quite unedifying for the State to have the most vulnerable people in this city in this situation.
"When you think of the money that we're spending, and I think the survivors mentioned this, I'm conscious of €30 million to build a road for the Ryder Cup... These people are asking for two things when the State incarcerated them.
"They're asking now for supports for their health and recognition of the work that they did."
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said today that there were no plans to meet the demands of the hunger strikers, urging them to end their protest and meet with officials.
Ms Carey said that she did "not accept Mr O’Callaghan’s view."
"From day one, when this group of four very brave people started this hunger strike, I wrote to Minister McEntee and unfortunately, it took eight days for a meeting to be organised, including leaving them over a weekend," she said.
"I don't accept that we can't look at legislation. We've overturned legislation, legislative amendments happen all the time.
"The Support for Survivors Bill that was passed last year was less than satisfactory. And those people spent their time in the House of the Oireachtas trying to get support for the changes they want.
"I don't accept Minister O’Callaghan's view that this cannot be changed because they’re determined to stay there," she added.
The group did meet with Minister for Education Helen McEntee on Monday, eight days after the strike began.
Ms Carey described the meeting as "respectful", but "disappointing".
"The meeting was respectful and I think it was very difficult for the four people. They retold their experiences in great detail and the Minister listened," she said.
"But I was, as Special Advocate, extremely disappointed that she didn't come with something. She came referring to the legislation and to the supports that were in that, knowing that the survivors were not happy with them and and really, that was it.
"Sympathy and empathy are not going to get them health supports, or recognise the work they did as children. It's really important to remember these children were taken by the State from their families," she added.
During the latest Dáil leaders' questions debate, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said while he understands the concerns, there are no plans to meet the demands, and he urged the protesters to end the hunger strike and engage with officials.
However, asked for the group's response, Marucie Patton O'Connell told RTE: "We will engage with Government, but we're not coming off the hunger strike. This has been going on too, too long, 26 years, we're not stopping now. We've come too far now.
"Eleven days sleeping out. We won't budge."
'Engage with officials'
Earlier, Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan told Independent TD and presidential candidate Catherine Connolly and People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger that he wants the individuals to end the hunger strike.
Minister O'Callaghan told Deputy Connolly: "I am very concerned at what I've seen recently," and that "individuals have gone to such extreme concerns".
He said Department of Education and Youth officials has met with the group, which has also spoken recently with Minister for Education Helen McEntee.
However, he said there are, at this stage, no plans for the HAA medical card and State contributory pension demands to be met - instead he urged the protesters to end their hunger strike and to engage with officials, saying: "I would urge the individuals who are on hunger strike to come off it, and recognise they can have engagements with Government."
In response, Independent TD and presidential candidate Catherine Connolly said "for 11 days now four people have felt they have had no choice other than to go on hunger strike", saying she is "extremely worried for those women and men".
She described the protesters as "courageous people", and added: "Nobody in your Government met them until Monday, I understand. There's a mean-spirited approach from Government and the previous government in relation to redress for people who have been in institutions."
In a later interaction, People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger also called for Government to meet the protesters demands.
The protest, which began outside the Dáil almost two weeks ago, was also raised by Fianna Fail TD for Kerry Michael Cahill last week.
Engagement with members of the group - Dept of Education
A Department of Education and Youth spokesperson said the department is "very conscious" of the "enormous trauma which has been experienced by all survivors of abuse".
"The minister met directly with the survivors concerned on Monday to hear from them personally. She reiterated her concerns for their physical and mental health as a result of their decision and asked them to reconsider it.
"There has been engagement between the Department and members of the group over a number of years. Most recently, in August officials from the Department travelled to Limerick to meet directly with the group and listen to their concerns," the spokesperson said.
"The previous Government agreed in 2023 to provide for new and ongoing health and education supports, which will be rolled out very shortly, which marks a new phase in the State's response.
"The package of health supports includes the provision to survivors of the same medical card as that provided under the Magdalen Laundry and Mother and Baby Institutions schemes, and the provision of a health support payment to survivors who are resident outside the State.
"Sage Advocacy, a specialist independent advocacy organisation, has also been engaged by the Department to provide advocacy supports to survivors wishing to engage with relevant services," the spokesperson said.
The department referenced a 2009 Commission into child abuse known as the Ryan Report, a 2002 redress broad with payments of almost €1 billion to survivors and a 2013 Caranua with funding supports for over 6,000 survivors.
"In total, the State's response to this issue to date has involved expenditure of approximately €1.5 billion," the spokesperson added.
