Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Daly for her question. The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act was enacted in July 2012 and provided for the establishment of a statutory fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse. The Act also provided for the dissolution of the Education Finance Board which was established in 2006 and financed by a €12.7 million contribution under the terms of the 2002 indemnity agreement.

Eligibility for assistance from the fund is confined to those former residents who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or similar awards or settlements in court proceedings and who would otherwise have

received an award from the redress board. Approximately 15,000 survivors are eligible. The board adopted the service name Caranua in October 2013 and began accepting applications on 6 January 2014. The initial uptake on applications was small and in the first year payments amounting to €14.77 million had been made to or on behalf of 1,476 applicants. During the past year expenditure has increased significantly to €43 million to or on behalf of 2,927 applicants.

In response to calls for the eligibility for access to the fund to be widened during the passage of the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas, an undertaking was given to review the operation of the fund two years after its establishment. I remain committed to reviewing the scheme. Initial engagement between Caranua and my Department on developing terms of reference will take place in July with a view to the review commencing in the autumn.

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