One of the four people on hunger strike for 51 days says they are all feeling emotional but satisfied about the deal done and the conclusion of their action.
The four protestors range in age from 57 to 73 and have also been sleeping in a tent outside Leinster House since September 21st.
They started this action in a bid to have their demands around a contributory pension and medical cards met.
The protestors met with Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Education Helen McEntee last night where written agreement on a deal was secured.
The hunger strikers - Maurice Patton O’Connell, Miriam Moriarty Owens and Mary Donovan who were child inmates of Pembroke Alms Industrial School in Tralee, and Mary Dunlevy Greene who attended an industrial school in Limerick – ended their hunger strike last night after receiving written agreement on a deal around their demands.
Some of their demands include the provision of Health Amendment Act (HAA) Cards that provide enhanced medical cover and a full state contributory pension to survivors of industrial and reform schools.
The four will continue working with a mediator to finalise all details of the deal, but they say they are satisfied with the outcome of last night’s meeting.
Miriam Moriarty Owens says survivors of industrial and reformatory schools will now get a medical card with enhanced benefits, similar to the HAA card, and she says they are satisfied with the conclusion to their demands around a contributory pension.
Miriam Moriarty Owens explains how they feel:
