Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

Amendments Nos. 6 and 10 propose the establishment of an assessment panel comprising four members of the statutory fund board to examine applications from persons who did not make an application to the redress board or who will have a court determination made in an action arising out of residency in a scheduled institution. Recipients of a court awards will be eligible to apply for the fund under the provisions of the Bill. The general issue of the eligibility under the fund has been discussed earlier and I have made my position clear on the matter. The new fund will have no role in respect of the making of awards. The redress board is the State's vehicle for making awards to those who suffered abuse in residential institutions. A completely different role is planned for the new board and I do not believe it should get involved in adjudicating on whether abuse took place. That is a separate function and we have set up elaborate machinery for that. To allow the board to do that would be to severely compromise its key objective, that is, to meet the needs of former residents. Accordingly I cannot accept the proposed amendments.