Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the amount paid to claimants under the residential institutions redress scheme together with the amount in respect of legal and medical report costs; the number of cases outstanding and still to be heard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38579/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Redress Board's primary function is to provide financial redress to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in Industrial Schools, Reformatories or other institutions that were subject to State regulation or inspection.

The closing date for receipt of applications was the 15th December 2005 by which time the Board had received 14,513 applications. The Board has received a total of 14,549 applications (including 36 late applications accepted up to 31st December 2007).

Up to 3rd November 2008, 12,280 applications were processed by the Board. The overall average award from the inception of the scheme is €64,892. Awards are determined by the Board having regard to the severity of the abuse, the severity of physical and psychological injury and the loss of opportunity resulting from the abuse. The level of awards range in value from €0 to €300,000.

Expenditure associated with the Redress Board to the end of 2007 was €745,591,963. Based on the total number of applications received, the final cost of the scheme may be in the region of €1.1 billion, including legal and administration costs. Any estimate of the final cost of the Scheme at this point will be tentative as the Board has approximately 2,269 applications to process and the level of award provided in these remaining cases may vary substantially.

With approximately 2,269 cases to be processed, it is difficult to say at this point when the Board will have completed its work. However, from experience, as the Board generally clears between 200 to 220 cases per month, an estimated timeframe is 14 months or towards the end of 2009. While the processing of awards should be completed in 2009, there will be some residual work to be completed by the Board in 2010.