More than 100 MPs sign open letter backing Philomena's Law
It comes ahead of the first Westminster debate on 'Philomena's Law' this afternoon.
The legislation has been named after Philomena Lee, a mother and baby home survivor, whose story about her son being forcibly adopted was chronicled in the Oscar nominated film "Philomena".
It's estimated that around 13,000 people living in the UK are mother and baby home survivors, however many risk losing their means-tested benefits if they avail of compensation under the Irish Mother and Baby Institution payments scheme.
"Philomena's Law" was first introduced to the House of Commons by the chair of the UK Labour Party's Irish Society, Liam Conlon MP.
"Our campaign has also been about shining a light on the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme itself. Uptake is incredibly low in Britain and we want to ensure that every eligible survivor knows about it and feels empowered to apply", he explained.
The actor Steve Coogan, who starred in the film 'Philomena' has also expressed his support for the legislation.
"Liam is doing fantastic work to raise awareness of this important issue and I'm backing 'Philomena's Law' to help him ensure that all survivors get the compensation they are rightfully due", he said.
Irish actor and star of Derry Girls Siobhán McSweeney said that she "wholeheartedly" supports Philomena's Law, adding that "this legislation is a crucial step towards justice and dignity for those who have suffered in silence for far too long."
The open letter has been signed by politicians from a number of parties, including Labour, DUP, UUP, SDLP, SNP, Sinn Féin, Liberal Democrats and Alliance.
It states that: "This complicated and stressful situation is putting undue pressure on survivors who are currently making applications to the payment scheme, forcing them to revisit their most traumatic experiences as they weigh up the cost of accepting compensation."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Taoiseach welcomes trade deal between EU and US
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has welcomed a deal between the European Union and the United States, which will see a 15% tariff on most EU imports to the US. The deal was reached during a meeting between Donald Trump and the president of the European Commission on Sunday. The US president met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to hammer out the final details on the trading relationship between Europe and the US. Reacting to the deal, Mr Martin said the agreement was very welcome. 'It brings clarity and predictability to the trading relationship between the EU and the US – the biggest in the world,' the Fianna Fail leader said. 'That is good for businesses, investors and consumers. It will help protect many jobs in Ireland. 'The negotiations to get us to this point have been long and complex, and I would like to thank both teams for their patient work. 'We will now study the detail of what has been agreed, including its implications for businesses exporting from Ireland to the US, and for different sectors operating here. 'The agreement is a framework and there will be more detail to be fleshed out in the weeks and months ahead.' Mr Martin said the higher tariffs will have an impact on trade between the EU and the US, which will make it more expensive and more challenging. US President Donald Trump enjoyed a round of golf before his meeting with Ursula von der Leyen 'However, it also creates a new era of stability that can hopefully contribute to a growing and deepening relationship between the EU and the US, which is important not just for the EU and the US, but for the global economy,' he added. 'Given the very real risk that existed for escalation and for the imposition of punitively high tariffs, this news will be welcomed by many.' The deal was also welcomed by deputy Irish premier and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Harris, who said it brings clarity to businesses. 'While we have yet to see the detail, I welcome that an agreement has been announced by Commission President von der Leyen and US President Trump,' Mr Harris said in a statement. 'A deal provides a measure of much-needed certainty for Irish, European and American businesses who together represent the most integrated trading relationship in the world. Ireland makes a key contribution to this with the Ireland-US economic relationship valued at more than one trillion euros. 'The US had made clear, and this has been replicated in other recent agreements, which the US has reached with other countries, that a baseline tariff was always going to be part of the outcome. 'I have always stressed that tariffs are damaging and will have a negative impact on companies exporting to the US. 'While Ireland regrets that the baseline tariff of 15% is included in the agreement, it is important that we now have more certainty on the foundations for the EU-US trade relationship, which is essential for jobs, growth and investment. 'President von der Leyen described this as 15% tariffs across the board, all-inclusive.' He said further detail is needed around pharma, aviation and other sectors. Mr Harris said he will examine the details of the agreement over the coming days to establish the effect on Irish businesses and the economy. Earlier, EU commissioner Michael McGrath said the meeting was a 'significant and decisive moment'. Mr McGrath, EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, said it would involve substantive negotiations between both sides. 'It's a significant moment, we hope a decisive moment, and it builds on an enormous amount of work that has been done over quite a period of time,' Mr McGrath said ahead of the meeting. 'President Trump invited President von der Leyen to Scotland for a meeting. 'This follows on the back of intensive negotiations over a number of months. He added: 'It is not a case of turning up and signing on the dotted line. There will be a real discussion that will happen, and it will take on a dynamic of its own, and let's see what happens over the course of the afternoon. 'But from the EU's point of view, we are determined to do all that we can to get a deal for European businesses, because we recognise the cost of uncertainty. 'It manifests in trade and in investment decisions and ultimately in employment and of course tariffs can cost consumers at the end of the day. 'We want a good deal. We have negotiated hard, and we're at a point now where hopefully the two leaders can today bring it to a concluding phase.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Love Island fans insist returning Islander ‘did their research' as they expose ‘game plan'
LOVE Island fans insist a returning Islander 'did their research' as they expose their 'game plan.' Irish star Megan Advertisement 3 Love Island fans insist a returning Islander 'did their research' as they expose their 'game plan' 3 Fans have claimed Megan has an obvious game plan Megan was voted least favourite girl after dumping Tommy for Conor, before being axed. But her return has seen her head straight for Conor to pick up where they left off. However, Love Island viewers aren't convinced, with some saying that the brunette beauty has returned to the dating show with a game plan. Taking to Reddit, one person speculated: 'Irish Megan really did her homework. Notice how when Yasmin first came in irish Megan threw the blame on her calling her 'boring and sloppy' and never held Harry or Dejon accountable. Advertisement Read More on Love Island 'But now she's flipping the script , telling the girls 'Oh the boys were the problem' and 'It's not Shakira it's Harry.' They continued: 'Since her return, Helena who's always laughing and scoffed 'I'm not threatened by Shakira.' is now crying….its no coincidence that both Helena and Megan are shifting the blame onto Harry instead of Shakira after irish meg came in because they would've jumped guns blazing on Shakira if they hadn't known what the public say about them.' And the poster finished by saying: 'They're even openly acknowledging the 'divide' for the first time and Megan who was confidently arguing with 4+ girls during movie night is now shedding crocodile tears for people to sympathise with her…irish meg TRUST and believe that you will be on that spirit flight back to england i've had enough of them rigging this season and painting shakira and toni as the villains.' The comment was liked by thousands of people in agreement, but not everyone agreed with the theory. Advertisement Most read in Love Island Some said it was a good thing that Megan was calling out the boys for their actions, while others fumed that the word 'game player' was being thrown about too easily. Love Island fans praise Megan as she calls out Harry for his actions in brutal speech On her villa return, Megan revealed the real reason she decided to come back. She said: "I'm excited to go back in, I think I left quite abruptly and I'm going back in for some clarity. "It was an easy decision to make. Advertisement "When you can't speak to people for a couple of weeks and have to watch them on telly every night, you want some answers." Some Love Island fans ended up complaining to Ofcom about Megan and Blu's return to the villa. "Producers are ****s, they bring Megan back now that Shakira + Conor are happy + now I've seen that they've put the clip of Shakira + Toni talking about meg + demon in the grafties? "I hate them and ofcom will be hearing from me." Advertisement Someone else added: "And the voting was rigged - I'm complaining to ofcom too, sick of the lies." A third penned: "@itv bringing back meg over alima is disgraceful. And I will be complaining to ofcom. "Megan recieved the lowest amount of votes. Alimas was never voted out by the public but by somone stealing her man. "S10 molly was kicked out the same way and eventually brought back." Advertisement A fourth then said: "Everyone needs to complain to ofcom after that episode!!!!!!!" While a fifth added: "I'm actually gonna file an ofcom complaint cause how can they disregard our votes like that? "Megan literally had the lowest votes for favourite girl FOR A REASON." 3 Fans questioned why Megan has done a u-turn and now blames the boys Advertisement
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
EU-US deal good for Ireland as it averts trade war for now and gives businesses vital sense of certainty
The agreement of an outline trade deal between the EU and the US has one main advantage – it avoids an imminent tariffs war between the two sides which could have got nasty. US president Donald Trump had threatened 30 per cent tariffs on EU imports from August 1st and the EU had drawn up a list of US goods on which it would impose tariffs of its own. This could have developed into a tit-for-tat battle. Now, the gunfight is off and the trade weapons are back in their holsters, at least for a while. Ireland relies heavily on US investment and trade and stood to be particularly exposed if a trade war broke out. Such a scenario could risk drawing big digital tech companies with large operations here into the fallout. READ MORE Peace has broken out, but Trump's unpredictable nature means dangers and uncertainties lie ahead. Businesses in most sectors will, for now at least, know what they are dealing with and that has a value it itself, as doubt had started to damage investment. What about the terms of the deal? The 15 per cent tariff is well above the average of just under 5 per cent which applied on all EU imports to the US before Trump came to office. However, Irish businesses have been faced with a range of different tariff levels and much will depend on the small print of what was agreed. It is worth remembering that Trump imposed 10 per cent tariffs on top of existing ones after 'Liberation Day' and these remain in place. So, Irish companies will be calculating how the 15 per cent compares to the current position – and also to what applied before Trump came to power. Indications on Sunday night were that the 15 per cent would be 'all-inclusive' rather than adding to pre-existing tariffs. If that is the case, it would be welcome. While no details have been circulated, the EU said there would be 'zero for zero' deals discussed in some areas. Drinks or agri-food could be in the frame here, which would be positive for Ireland. One sector which is vital to Ireland is the pharma sector and there was some confusion as to how it would be affected. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said this would be covered by the 15 per cent cap on reciprocal tariffs. However, the Trump administration is examining key sectors like pharma and semiconductors – seen as vital to national security – under a separate process known as the section 232 studies. It may be possible that higher tariffs on EU pharma exports to the US could yet emerge from this. Trump spoke again on Sunday about his determination to bring pharma investment back home for security reasons. And he has spoken before about the possibility of using tariffs to achieve this. Other policy options would also be open to Trump to try to get pharma firms to relocate away from countries like Ireland. The generally better mood between the EU and US may help in areas like this, but dangers remain for Ireland. In the wider picture, Trump is building in baseline tariffs of 15 per cent for many countries, with his key goal being to raise revenue for the US exchequer. But this will hit those who rely on imports into the US, too, affecting businesses and consumers and pushing up inflation. That is the price of tariffs. For now, though, Trump is happy for the US to pay it.
