Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals to add a school (details supplied) to the list of residential institutions under the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2369/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides a mechanism whereby additional institutions may be considered for inclusion in the Schedule to the Act. Since the enactment of the legislation my Department has received correspondence from both individuals and survivor groups identifying a number of additional institutions that may be eligible for inclusion.

Consultations have taken place between my Department and other Departments that may have provided a regulatory function in the operation of these facilities in order to ascertain the case for their inclusion under the Act. As a result of those consultations and following consideration of the matter, I signed an order on 9 November 2004 which provided for the inclusion of 13 additional institutions to the Schedule.

With regard to the institution referred to by the Deputy, the Department of Health and Children has confirmed that a public body did have a regulatory or inspection function in this case and my Department is now exploring with the trustees of the institution the possibility of a contribution being made by it towards the redress scheme. While the question of a contribution being given will not be the final deciding factor, the issue must be explored before a final decision is made.