Written answers
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Department of Education and Skills
Statutory Trust Fund
4:00 pm
Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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Question 196: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason he is proceeding with the establishment of the Statutory Trust Fund despite the objection of many survivor group leaders and individuals, and upon the recommendation of which groups or organisations he is proceeding. [16519/12]
Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I had a very constructive meeting with groups representing survivors of residential institutional abuse on 22nd July last, when we discussed the Government's approach to the proposed Statutory Fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse. The Government is proceeding with the drafting of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill on the basis of the General Scheme prepared by my Department, which followed extensive consultations with survivors of residential abuse and the groups which support them, together with a public consultation process. The General Scheme of the Bill and a Report on the Consultation Process are available on my Department's website as is a copy of the minutes of the meeting of 22 July.
I am aware that some former residents advocated a simple distribution of the available money rather than the establishment of the Statutory Fund. However, as I outlined when I published the legislative proposals, I believe that the Fund should target resources at services to support former residents' needs. The General Scheme provides for a wide range of services to be approved for the Fund including counselling, psychological support services and mental health services, health and personal social services, educational services and housing services.
I am committed to establishing the proposed Statutory Fund for survivors of institutional abuse. Work on the drafting of the Bill is currently being finalised and I expect to be in a position to publish it very shortly.
Comments
jack colleton
Posted on 30 Mar 2012 11:29 am (Report this comment)
"I had a very constructive meeting with groups representing survivors of residential institutional abuse on 22nd July last, when we discussed the Government�s approach ..."
meeting with "groups" is NOT same as meeting with THE survivors! the hovernment allowed the abuse to happen and appears to be allowing injustice to happen also!
robert mullen
Posted on 30 Mar 2012 1:30 pm (Report this comment)
Mr Quinn has NEVER set up meetings with survivors of abuse as a whole instead he and his office have held meetings with UNPROFESSIONAL, UNEXPERIENCED, UNQUALIFIED PEOPLE WITH NO POLICE CHECKS, calling themselves support groups, REPRESENTING the most vulnerable people such as survivors of abuse, this is a disgrace to himself and to his so called professional office as I am led to believe it takes all the above to hold office meetings on behalf of the most vulnerable people of Ireland otherwise they will lack the right support they need and there is no justice in these kind of dealings as he the minister knows the Government should only hold office with professional people other wise what is the whole meaning of education and its experience.
We all know what happened to with the Right of Place as example.
Giving the whole nature of this whole affair on such a massive scale this, Mr. Quinn as all Government offices from all parties have failed most miserably the survivors.
The Government openly claimed they as the Religious are just as guilty as each other, then why take the compensation from the religious as he so mightily fought for claiming it is to be the Religious 50% towards the redress and costs.? This Government was quick enough to publish the final sum but as of yet they never published the return in taxes from that sum. They always earn back in taxes we all know this. So it seems they are trying to get away with taking the Religious compensation to survivors and cover this fact up.
Does this now leave way for two criminals committing the same crime share 50% of the fine or do 50% of the time?
These funds EDUCATION COUNSELING, FAMILY TRACING, we still have not seen who benefitted from them was it survivors or their families, as we know some families are much larger then others a lot of survivors have NO FAMILIES, Did they loose out I wonder the funds ran out in such a short time. Who can check this out?
Leaving such a tiny sum of the compensation from the estimated 600 million plus euro, this Government then dumps the education fund, the counseling fund and the family tracing fund onto the now dictated fund naming it Statuary fund, were these funds already in place for people who cannot afford them? most charities pay for these funds anyhow, and I have had to sit in the very same room as other people of mainstream society, they never had to pay either.
Regarding these funds also organized by the education office I for over two years have approached the education office explaining i need support for my little 2 year old girl, i was told there was NOTHING set up for minors young children, then not long ago I received a letter claiming I did not fill out the appropriate form for her, this was after I had spoke to this office over the two years and they admitted there was NOTHING SET UP FOR CHILDREN, giving the whole nature of this affair it was down right disgraceful.
Why is welfare not first on the agenda? everyone knows welfare is a priority especially with survivors, it would not cost this country much to have left survivors children with the christmas box of 100 euro each year, it would not cost this country much to exempt survivors from the cuts in the budget, the welfare offices know every survivor and their needs and to set up a personnel office to see that survivors have their needs met by the welfare.
jack colleton
Posted on 31 Mar 2012 5:20 pm (Report this comment)
The Survivor's Fund: News (RTE)
http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1142342
robert mullen
Posted on 31 Mar 2012 5:36 pm (Report this comment)
Once more, How come these Groups made decisions on behalf of survivors of abuse right from the very beginning when most survivors never knew them, Mr. Barry was only so proud to have made deals with the Government only later to be thrown out by the present Right of Place Cork for failing the survivors. There was no mandate and no voting cards just shouting matches from those who placed themselves in charge to the main body of survivors who did not agree with that self chosen committee.
At this point I would like to add this kangaroo styled committee did not know any experiences or needs of survivors, just their own.
To use these Groups of self appointed individuals against survivors is exactly what this Government is doing and is totally guilty of such.
This happened in the industrial schools, The Government placed all their trust in Religious nutters because it was cheaper to do so, thinking it will never come back to haunt them. What the Government forget is these are now Families and the same treatment is reoccurring by their actions here.
The Government and the Religious are guilty of not addressing survivors of their abuse properly it is yet again neglect of human rights on the largest scale ever to take place in Ireland and needs to be challenged asap. It is a massive cover up a white wash and down right arrogant.
For the number of actual survivors left alive the Government would have saved the tax payer money and held a better reputation by handling this whole affair in a more professional manor.
The compensation from the Religious would be a start to help the lives they both destroyed by actions past present and future.
The HSE have failed the survivors in need also by not making a stand for professional support for all survivors and their families instead they are paying these groups who have not had years of experience in handling the most vulnerable, sure a few courses were held by some staff but nothing professional enough to say they can see hear understand and especially help individual survivors and families.
On this may I add there are no photographs of our childhood, though hundreds were taken yet the solicitors never managed to get any on behalf of survivors yet it is part of their identification.
Travelers have welfare support workers working on their behalf this is good why not survivors who are also failing to settle in a community they never understood or felt part of, not to their fault by this the survivors could be housed have their urgent needs met and helped in areas of their lives they seem to have serious problems with.
Robert Northall
Posted on 30 Mar 2012 10:04 am (Report this comment)
Clare Daly asked this question based on an email sent to ALL TDs, including Mr Quinn; the content of this email was based on an email sent to Enda Kenny on 3rd April 2011 which Enda Kenny forwarded to Mr Quinn for him to reply to, in spite of lodging an official complaint a full and frank reply to this and another email forwarded by the Taoiseach was never received.
Mr Quinn has had nearly a year to think of an answer; yet we get more wiffle, waffle!
If you would like a copy of the email sent to ALL TD�s email me at rob.northall@ntlworld.com
If you are a Survivor of the Irish Industrial Schools you will be welcome @ http://bit.ly/agjWv0