Completed
· Chair: Tom Kark KC
· Established October 2021
· Commissioned by Northern Ireland Executive
Statutory public inquiry into systematic abuse of patients with learning disabilities at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, Northern Ireland.
More about this inquiry
Statutory public inquiry into systematic abuse of patients with learning disabilities at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, Northern Ireland. 300,000 hours of CCTV footage revealed physical abuse in 2017. 120 sitting days; oral evidence from 181 witnesses. Report published 18 June 2026 with 106 recommendations. 15 people charged in parallel police investigation.
Accepted · Department of Health NI says in progress
Recommended
In relation to direct redress, including consideration of financial compensation, we recommend that the DoH set up a small working party to consult with patients, service user groups and individuals connected to those who have suffered abuse at MAH in relation to what form redress might properly take.
Since then (summary written by this site)
In September 2026, Robbie Butler, Minister of Health, stated that officials had carried out initial scoping work on establishing a redress working party and that he expected advice on options imminently, adding that the department will engage with families before anything is agreed (Robbie Butler, Sep 2026). In June 2026, his predecessor Mike Nesbitt accepted the recommendation on behalf of the Department of Health NI, committing to set up the consultative working group after meeting with families (Mike Nesbitt response, Jun 2026).
Addressed to Department of Health NI · Full record
The Inquiry held 11 oral resettlement information sessions from 3 to 6 June 2025, hearing from 15 participants and receiving one written contribution. These sessions were not public and were subject to a restriction order; no participant-level details are included here.
Derived sum of five published FY costs; not an Inquiry-published cumulative or final total
Source and qualifications
Accounting period: 1 Apr 2021 to 31 Mar 2026.
Arithmetic sum of the five amounts published on the MAH Inquiry Costs page: FY2021/22 £1,010,979 + FY2022/23 £4,114,761 + FY2023/24 £4,293,575 + FY2024/25 £4,352,787 + FY2025/26 £2,329,380 = £16,101,482. This £16,101,482 is derived here; the Inquiry has not published it as a cumulative total. The source says the Inquiry commenced in September 2021 and final costs will be published once all invoices are received and settled. The schema reporting window uses the five standard FY labels, 1 April 2021 through 31 March 2026; spending in FY2021/22 began only after the September 2021 commencement, and later close-out costs may be absent. The sum excludes historical overlapping rows 76 (same FY2021/22 £1,010,979 as row222) and 80 (partial FY2025/26 superseded by full row223), and does not add old cumulative row81 (£14,779,064 through 22 September 2025). All older rows remain unchanged.
Statutory inquiry into abuse of patients with learning disabilities at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, Belfast. Established October 2021 under Inquiries Act 2005. No category breakdown published. Final costs will be published at inquiry close. Funded by Department of Health (NI).
Derived sum of five published FY costs; not an Inquiry-published cumulative or final total
Source and qualifications
Accounting period: 1 Apr 2021 to 31 Mar 2026.
Arithmetic sum of the five amounts published on the MAH Inquiry Costs page: FY2021/22 £1,010,979 + FY2022/23 £4,114,761 + FY2023/24 £4,293,575 + FY2024/25 £4,352,787 + FY2025/26 £2,329,380 = £16,101,482. This £16,101,482 is derived here; the Inquiry has not published it as a cumulative total. The source says the Inquiry commenced in September 2021 and final costs will be published once all invoices are received and settled. The schema reporting window uses the five standard FY labels, 1 April 2021 through 31 March 2026; spending in FY2021/22 began only after the September 2021 commencement, and later close-out costs may be absent. The sum excludes historical overlapping rows 76 (same FY2021/22 £1,010,979 as row222) and 80 (partial FY2025/26 superseded by full row223), and does not add old cumulative row81 (£14,779,064 through 22 September 2025). All older rows remain unchanged.