Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 161: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of legal actions her Department is currently engaged in; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40194/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are approximately 270 cases before the Courts which involve the Department as a Defendant or Respondent. They include litigation relating to Primary Schools, Community and Comprehensive Schools, Children Detention Schools, Special Needs, school non-attendance, school transport, litigation arising from industrial relations actions, contractual disputes and a diverse range of matters.

This figure does not include childhood abuse cases relating to industrial and reformatory schools and residential Institutions, which number approximately 695 live cases. These are being dealt with primarily by the Residential Institutions Redress Board. However, it is not possible to indicate what percentage of these cases will reach a hearing, as a large number of cases are discontinued following the acceptance by the plaintiffs of awards made by the Redress Board.