Michael Kennedy (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 179: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills in relation to survivors of institutional child abuse whose claims came before the redress board, the number of claims that were refused on a year to year basis in the period 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and to date in 2010, on the basis that the applicant was not a resident in an institution outlined in schedule A of the governing legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39447/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

While my Department is aware of the total number of applicants to the Residential Institutions Redress Board whose applications were unsuccessful, it does not have a breakdown indicating numbers who were unsuccessful on the basis that they had not been resident in a scheduled institution.

My Department has contacted the Board in relation to the Deputy's question and I understand that the records are not maintained in such a format as to allow this information to be readily accessed. I further understand that the retrieval and examination of such records would be a costly and labour intensive exercise for the Board. However, I would like to draw the Deputy's attention to the Newsletters which appear on the Board's website - www.rirb.ie - and which provide regular updates in relation to the application and award process. The July 2010 edition of the Newsletter states that "by and large applications have been refused as, on the face of the documentation, the application was outside the Board's terms of reference as laid down in the 2002 Act. In other words, the applications did not relate to residential institutions as defined in the Act."