‘Extreme concern’ for hunger strikers outside Leinster House as protest continues

‘Extreme concern’ has been expressed for the four people on hunger strike outside Leinster House as their protest enters its twelfth day.

The four protestors, namely Mary Donovan, Mary Dunleavy Green, Maurice Patton O’Connell and Marian Moriarty Owen, are all survivors of residential abuse.

They are demanding State support in response to what happened to them in industrial and reformatory schools.

Specifically, the group want to be awarded a Health Amendment Act (HAA) card and a State contributory pension.

Independent TD and presidential election candidate Catherine Connolly raised the issue in the Dáil on Tuesday.

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Deputy Connolly said: “I am extremely worried about those three women and one man who feel they have no choice but to go on hunger strike to have the most basic requests met.

“They are standing there and I am ashamed, as I would say most of my colleagues are, that those four people feel they have no choice but do to this to achieve something as basic as that.”

Deputy Connolly went on to criticise the “mean-spirited approach” the government has taken in relation to redress for people who have been in institutions.

In response to Deputy Connolly, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan expressed his own concern regarding the hunger strikers.

Minister O’Callaghan said: “It is a matter of extreme concern that there are individuals who are making such dangerous efforts to make their point.

“It is a point they are making admirably but I urge them not to make it through hunger strike.”

Despite these concerns, Minister O’Callaghan said there were no plans to give in to the protestors’ demands.

One of the protestors told RTÉ News on Wednesday that although they were happy to engage with the government, they would not be coming off hunger strike until their demands were met.