Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

My Department undertook a comprehensive consultation process on the proposed fund. Press advertisements invited views, which could be forwarded by post, e-mail or by a freefone service, which was operated by Barnardos. Officials also met with groups representing survivors of residential institutional abuse, the congregations and a number of other interested parties.

Under existing legislation, it was not open to my Department to use the database as outlined in the question. The current Bill empowers the redress board to provide awardees' names, addresses and dates of birth to the statutory fund. This will enable the fund to verify applicants' entitlements to apply. That is the only purpose for which the information can be used. The Attorney General's office has advised that any direct unsolicited communication with survivors could be open to challenge as it might encroach on their right to privacy under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.

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