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.
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.
"11 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.
