Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the redress entitlement of a child in a case where they were in an institution providing for mothers and babies, were then fostered with the agreement of the mother and then abused by their foster parent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26873/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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During the passage of the legislation governing the establishment of the Redress Scheme (Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002) through both Houses, the issue of including children who were in foster care was discussed and it was decided not to extend the legislation, as children in foster care were not in a residential institution. However, this statutory redress scheme was an additional benefit introduced by the Oireachtas for a particular category of persons and left unaffected the right of anybody to bring legal proceedings. Consequently, a person's ineligibility to be considered for an award under the terms of the Redress Scheme does not effect their statutory right to pursue any other legal avenue which may be open to them.