Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I move amendment No. 16:

In page 20, before section 34, but in Part 4, to insert the following new section:

"34.—Nothing in the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 prohibits an applicant from disclosing the fact that he or she made an application to the Board and the name of the institution, the category of abuse and injury and the amount of the award that are referable to that application.".

The purpose of this amendment is to allow applicants to talk about what happened at the redress board. The legislation, as it stands, is too restrictive in that regard and people should be allowed to give this type of information. Our amendment is quite narrow and does not allow for certain things to be disclosed. It is very much a general permission to disclose information as opposed to one being able to be specific about what happened at the board, naming people and so on.

People are going through a very difficult process in terms of what they have experienced and the fact they must go before the board. I hope the process will result in people feeling some relief afterwards but if they are not able to talk about it in the way we have outlined, it would not be helpful to them. We do not see the harm in allowing what we have provided for in our amendment.

There has been correspondence in the newspapers on some people's experience of going before the board. Obviously, certain things must be kept confidential but people should be able to talk about their experiences in a restricted way so that they get the closure required. That is what we are trying to allow for in our amendment which is very restrictive in terms of what it allows.