Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 608: To ask the Minister for Education and Science his views on a letter (details supplied); if he will re-open the Residential Institutions Redress Board to late applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39349/08]

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 Board was established under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 and the legislation governing its operation is contained therein.

Section 8 (1) of the Act provides that an applicant can make an application to the Board within 3 years of the establishment date which was the 15th December 2002. Section 8 (2) makes provision for the Board to extend that date but only in extremely exceptional circumstances.

The closing date therefore for receipt of applications was the 15th December 2005 by which time the Board had received 14,513 applications. Up to the 31st December 2007, the Board had accepted a further 36 late applications.

The Redress Board is entirely independent in the performance of its functions in accordance with the prescribed legislation. Consequently, it is not open to me in my capacity as Minister for Education & Science to intervene in individual cases nor would I have access to any information in relation to an individual's application to the Board.

I would respectfully suggest therefore that the matter should be addressed directly with the Board who can be contacted as follows: The Residential Institutions Redress Board, Block 5, Belfield Office Park, Beech Hill Road, Clonskeagh, Dublin 4.