Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 485: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position regarding the case of a person (details supplied) on protest outside Dáil Éireann; and if there are other ways to solve this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7254/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person in question has sought to have an institution in which she was resident as a child included in the Schedule to the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 for the purposes of making an application to the Redress Board. Section 4 of the Act 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 institution in this case is 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.

Officials of my Department have previously met the person and explained the position to her. The person was also resident in an institution which is included in the Schedule to the Redress Act and it was indicated to her prior to the closing date for applications to the Redress Board that it was open to her to make an application to the Board based on her experience in that institution.

Department officials are available for a further meeting with the person and her legal representatives if this would help the situation.