Taoiseach urged to act as survivors’ hunger strike enters 45th day

Forty-five days without food. Forty-five days of protest, pain and silence from the State.

Survivors of Ireland’s institutional abuse are still on hunger strike, and the Social Democrats, say it is long past time for the Taoiseach to step in.

The party’s education spokesperson, Deputy Jen Cummins, said it was “beyond comprehension” that people who had already suffered so deeply were now being forced to risk their lives “simply to be heard.”

Deputy Cummins said she had written to the Taoiseach on behalf of the parliamentary party to express “deep alarm and outrage” at what she described as the government’s failure to resolve the issue.

“It is completely unacceptable that a planned meeting with the hunger strikers, which was to be held on Monday, has now been postponed until Wednesday,” she said.

“Given that these individuals have now gone without food for such a long time, every single day is crucial to their health – there is simply no time to lose.”

The hunger strike, which began as a plea for recognition and justice for survivors of State-run institutions, has drawn growing concern from human rights groups and opposition politicians.

“These survivors carry the physical and emotional scars of a system that betrayed them,” Deputy Cummins continued.

“Their decision to undertake a hunger strike is a desperate act, born out of years of frustration, neglect and bureaucratic indifference.”

She said the government must now take “decisive action” to address the survivors’ demands, which include a clear acknowledgment of the State’s failings, access to a Health Amendment Act (HAA) card, and a contributory pension in recognition of the lasting impact of their experiences.

“No just society should ever allow its most vulnerable to reach such a point of despair,” Deputy Cummins said.

“The State cannot look away while those who survived these brutal institutions are forced to suffer once more.”

The Social Democrats are urging the Taoiseach to meet survivors and their representatives immediately to ensure a compassionate and coordinated response to their requests.