New chair appointed to Inter-departmental working group

By Q Radio News

The Department of Health and The Executive Office have announced the appointment of a new Independent Chair to the Inter-Departmental Working Group.

The group was established to take forward work on historic Mother and Baby Homes/Magdalene Laundries and historical clerical child abuse.

The position has been filled by Mr Peter McBride, whose appointment commenced on 3 June 2019 and will run for an initial period of one year.  

The Inter-Departmental Working Group was set up in 2016 at the request of the previous Northern Ireland Executive and is jointly sponsored by the Department of Health and The Executive Office.

The group’s role is to consider available evidence, including that from research as it becomes available and to develop and present recommendations to Ministers on a proposed way forward. Mother and Baby Homes/Magdalene Laundries and historical clerical child abuse fell outside the Terms of Reference of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry which dealt with historical abuse of children in residential institutions between 1922 and 1995.

The membership of the Group includes representatives from the Executive Office, the departments of Health, Justice, Education, Economy, Communities and the Departmental Solicitor’s Office.