Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 418: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will advise on a matter (details supplied). [25411/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established under Statute in 2002 and is governed by the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002. The Board was established to make fair and reasonable payments to persons who, as children, were abused while residents in Industrial Schools, Reformatories and other institutions subject to State regulation or inspection and who were placed in such institutions by the State. The Board is independent in the performance of its functions.

Under the terms of Section 8 of the Act, persons were required to make an application to the Board within 3 years of the establishment day. Consequently, the closing date for receipt of applications to the Redress Board expired on 15th December 2005. Under Section 8 (2) of the legislation, the Board may, at its discretion and where it considers there are exceptional circumstances, extend this period. Section 8 (3) provides for the Board to extend the period where it is satisfied that an applicant was under a legal disability by reason of unsound mind at the time when such application should otherwise have been made and the applicant concerned makes an application to the Board within 3 years of the cessation of that disability.

A person's ineligibility to apply to the Redress Board, for whatever reason, does not affect their statutory right to explore other legal avenues which may be open to them.