The Government has appointed an expert negotiator to talk with relevant religious bodies over contributions to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme.
Sheila Nunan is to hold confidential discussions to secure a financial contribution towards the €800 million cost of the scheme.
Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman sent a letter to all of the religious congregations involved following publication of the final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes in January 2021.
The Government said these letters pointed to "the significant findings in relation to the failings of the State and the religious congregations who together ran Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions."
"Among other matters, it said they may wish to consider making a contribution to the financial costs of a redress scheme," it added.
Sheila Nunan is seen at a housing conference in Dublin in January 2019. Picture by: Rollingnews.ieFollowing Government approval of the payment scheme proposals in November 2021, the Minister again wrote to the religious bodies.
He also began meetings on an individual basis with six religious congregations and one lay Catholic organisation, as well as the Church of Ireland.
The Government has said Ms Nunan will now "undertake the ongoing negotiations with the religious bodies who were involved with Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, with a view to securing a financial contribution towards the cost of the Payment Scheme."
Ms Nunan has been appointed for a six-month period, with the possibility of extending this if necessary.
The process will be treated as confidential while discussions are ongoing, a statement said.
Ms Nunan is a former teacher and principal, and was General-Secretary of Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) between 2009 and 2019.
She was also President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) between 2017 and 2019.
