To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail the consultation process which led to a bench being the first consideration for a memorial to the victims of Historical Institutional Abuse.

Engagement on a memorial has focused on the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry Report’s recommendation that a memorial should be erected to remind legislators and others of what many children experienced in residential homes. The report, laid before the Assembly on 5 June 2020, recommended that a suitable physical memorial should be erected in Parliament Buildings, or in the grounds of Stormont Estate.

Focused engagement with representative groups on the issue of a memorial commenced after the apology was offered to victims and survivors on 11 March 2022. Our officials found, just as the late Sir Anthony Hart recognised in the Inquiry report, that there remain widely differing views. Some victims and survivors wish to see the specific Hart recommendation implemented in full, while others would like to see memorials outside Stormont and Belfast, or the implementation of a living memorial.

In the absence of Ministers a further round of engagements was held during October and November 2023 to hear more views of victims and survivors, both those involved with representative groups and those who wished to offer their individual views. It was positive that there was participation from many survivors who had not previously engaged with officials.

Complementing engagement with victims and survivors, officials have also considered advice from Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse, which highlighted that the HIA Inquiry Report recommendation for a physical memorial should be implemented, and consideration should be given to a wider memorial programme to reflect the range of victims and survivors’ views.

We will shortly be meeting victims’ and survivors’ representative groups and will consider all proposals to implement this recommendation.