Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 533: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position with regard to the case of a person (details supplied); and if the maximum support will be given on this matter. [35211/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that the Minister for Education and Science may, by order, include in the Schedule to the Act any industrial or reformatory school, orphanage, children's home, special school providing education services to children with a physical or intellectual disability, or hospital providing medical or psychiatric services to people with a physical or mental disability or mental illness, in which children were placed and resident and in respect of which a public body had a regulatory or inspection function.

The Department of Health and Children was consulted by my Department with regard to the Morning Star mother and baby unit and it advised that this was a privately run facility which was not subject to State inspection or regulation. As a consequence, it is not possible to give further consideration to the placement of this unit in the Schedule.

The question of including additional institutions has now been fully considered by my Department in consultation with relevant Departments and it is not proposed to add any further institutions to the Schedule at this point.

It is important to note that in the Government's initiatives to address past abuse the needs of those who suffered abuse in institutions not covered by the redress Act is recognised and provided for and a range of measures has been put in place to assist them. These include the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, education grants, dedicated counselling and other services for victims of abuse.

I have spoken to the person recently mentioned by the Deputy and explained the situation to her. Officials in the Department have also outlined the position with regard to the Morning Star mother and baby unit to the person concerned on a number of occasions. An official from my Department met the person on 20 October 2005 and explained that the legislation does not allow me to consider including the unit in the Schedule. However, I understand that she was also resident as a child in another institution which is included in the Schedule and she has been advised by department officials that she could explore, in consultation with her legal representative, the possibility of making an application to the redress board based on what happened to her in that institution. She would need to do this before 15 December 2005, the closing date for making applications to the redress board.