Averil Power (Fianna Fail)

Our amendment is similar to Senator Reilly's if somewhat more restrictive. I raised this issue yesterday on Second Stage. I share the concern that the Bill excludes people who did not avail of the redress scheme. There were many reasons people did not do so. Some people were homeless or out of the country and, despite the best efforts of the present and previous Governments, may have been unaware of the scheme or not in a position to apply before the deadline.

Amendment No. 2 would restrict access to the services available under the fund to those who would have been eligible to apply under the 2002 Act but did not do so. I appreciate the point made by the Minister yesterday that the amount of money available is limited and that he wants it to have as strong an impact as possible on those who are eligible and not to spread resources too thinly. However, by restricting eligibility to those who would have been eligible in 2002, which is not an overly inclusive group, we can have an impact and ensure that those who are most vulnerable, those who may not have had an opportunity to apply previously, can avail of the fund.

Amendment No. 3 refers to the provision of education services for relatives of survivors. While the fund will provide direct services for survivors themselves, in recent years relatives of survivors have been availing of education supports. This is a way for many of the survivors to pass on a little bit of happiness to their children or grandchildren and to give them opportunities they did not have themselves, and it should continue. I urge the Minister to accept this amendment.

Amendment No. 7 seeks to ensure that services available through the fund are not means-tested. It is unfair, particularly considering the horrific abuse they suffered, that people be subjected to unnecessary means-testing. Payment should be available to all survivors as a real and genuine, albeit minor and insufficient, recompense, regardless of the financial position they achieve later in life. We must ensure that all survivors are able to avail of the fund and are not subjected to an unfair means test.