Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 523: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has made progress in addressing an issue of institutional abuse raised by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32792/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 provides that the Minister for Education and Science may, by order, insert additional institutions in the Schedule to the Act. For an institution to be considered under Section 4, it must be an industrial school, a reformatory school, an orphanage, a children's home, a special school for children with a physical or intellectual disability or a hospital providing medical or psychiatric services to people with a physical or mental disability or mental illness. It must also be one in which children were placed and resident and in respect of which a public body had a regulatory or inspection function.

The case in question concerns the Regina Coeli Hostel which provided shelter for homeless women, mothers with young children and expectant mothers. However, as such hostel facilities do not come within the scope of Section 4 of the Act, it is not open to me to consider the inclusion of this institution in the Schedule. The closing date for receipt of applications by the Redress Board has now passed and the question of including additional institutions has been fully considered by my Department in consultation with relevant Government Departments. It is not proposed to add any further institutions to the Schedule.

In the range of Government initiatives to address past abuse, the needs of those who suffered abuse in institutions not covered by the Redress Act is recognised and various measures have been put in place to assist them. These include the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse and dedicated counselling and other support services for victims of abuse.

I have spoken in the past to the person in question and explained the situation to her as have officials in my Department. I understand that she was resident in another institution which is included in the Schedule and prior to the closing date for applications to the Redress Board in December 2005 she was advised by Department officials that it was open to her to make an application to the Board based on her experience in that institution.