Mother and Baby Homes and Magdalene Laundries Inquiry Update
The Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill has progressed in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and significant new information has come to light which we believe victims, survivors and their families should be aware of.
Progress of the Bill
The Bill, introduced on 16 June 2025, has now passed through Committee Stage and the Further Consideration Stage in the Assembly. The Committee for the Executive Office conducted a seven-month examination of the legislation, publishing its Committee Stage Report on 29 January 2026 with 17 recommendations on the inquiry clauses and three further recommendations on the redress provisions.
Royal Assent is anticipated during the summer months of 2026, following which a public inquiry will be formally established into the operation of Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses between 1922 and 1995. A shadow redress service has already been established within the Department of Justice, and the Executive intends to open the redress scheme before the end of 2026.
The Posthumous Cut-Off Date: A Hard-Won Victory
One of the most controversial features of the Bill as originally drafted was the posthumous cut-off date of 29 September 2011. Under the original provisions, only families of victims who died after that date would have been eligible for redress payments - an exclusion which drew sharp criticism from survivors and their representatives.
We are pleased to report that, following sustained campaigning and a reversal of an earlier decision by the Assembly Speaker not to allow debate on the matter, the Assembly has now backed a change to this cut-off date. The new compromise date of 1953 aligns with the posthumous eligibility threshold used in the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) redress scheme. While many had hoped for the date to be removed entirely - opening redress to the families of all victims since the founding of Northern Ireland in 1922 - this represents a meaningful expansion of eligibility and an important step forward.
Truth Recovery Panel Report: New Findings Expected in July
A major report from the Truth Recovery Independent Panel is expected to be published in July 2026. Reports have revealed that this report will contain 68 recommendations and will expose previously unknown aspects of how these institutions operated.
Of particular significance are two key findings:
Revised Admission Figures. The Panel has established that the number of admissions to mother and baby institutions was significantly higher than previously understood. The 2021 research report estimated approximately 10,500 admissions; the Panel now puts that figure at 12,062 - almost 2,000 more than initially believed.
"Baby Farming" at Private Nursing Homes. The report will lay bare a secret history of "baby farming" at one private nursing home in Northern Ireland, a practice linked to a court case in the 1940s. This is a significant revelation because it confirms what survivor groups have long argued: that private nursing homes and baby homes were part of the systemic pathways that led to forced adoption and the separation of mothers from their children.
Why the Baby Farming is significant
The question of whether private nursing homes fall within the scope of the inquiry has been one of the most contested issues during the Bill's passage. As currently drafted, the Bill lists only eleven institutions as "relevant institutions." Survivor groups - including Birth Mothers and their Children Together - have consistently argued that this list is too narrow and that private nursing homes, baby homes, adoption agencies and cross-border institutions must be included.
The Truth Recovery Panel's findings lend considerable weight to those arguments. If private nursing homes were used as part of a system designed to conceal pregnancies, separate mothers from their children and facilitate unregulated adoptions, then excluding them from the inquiry risks leaving a significant part of the truth untold.
Compulsory Disclosure of Records
Among the Panel's 68 recommendations is a demand for legislation to compel religious orders, health trusts and other institutions to hand over their records. This is a matter of deep concern for many people. Survivors and their families have for years struggled to access basic information about their own histories — where they were born, who their parents were, why they were separated. In some cases, individuals have been told that records have been lost or destroyed, or that access would be too "traumatising."
A statutory obligation to disclose records would mark a significant shift in the balance of power between survivors and the institutions that held them, and would be an essential component of any credible truth recovery process.
What to expect from the Redress Scheme
When the redress scheme opens, it will initially offer a standardised payment of £10,000 for eligible victims and survivors, and £2,000 for eligible relatives of deceased persons. Following the conclusion of the inquiry, the Executive has indicated that further legislation will be introduced to establish a harm-based individualised payment scheme, which would provide additional compensation based on the specific harm suffered by each individual.
Importantly, redress payments will not affect entitlement to means-tested benefits, Legal Aid or residential care home costs. The appeal period for redress decisions has been extended from 30 to 90 days following a Committee recommendation.
Next Steps
If you or a family member were resident in a Mother and Baby Institution, Magdalene Laundry, Workhouse, or a related institution such as a private nursing home or baby home in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995, do not hesitate to contact us.
At P.A. Duffy & Co, we have been working closely with survivors and their families throughout this process and are committed to ensuring that their voices are heard and their rights are protected.
To speak with a member of our team, call us on 028 8772 2102 or email enquiries@paduffy.com.
*This information is intended for general guidance purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice specific to your circumstances.