Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 91: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills when the trust fund for the survivors of residential institutions, first announced by the Government in 2009, will be put into place; if she will provide a breakdown of the sums of money transferred by the 18 religious teaching congregations to the State for the purpose of this trust fund to date; when she expects the fund to be formally established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42795/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Government announced its intention to use €110m of the offers of contributions to be made by the religious Congregations over the next few years to establish a Statutory Fund on 15th April last. This proposal is in keeping with the all party Motion passed by Dáil Éireann, supporting the proposal for a Trust to be set up and managed by the State for the support of victims and for other education and welfare purposes.

My Department has undertaken a wide ranging consultation process, meeting with groups representing survivors of institutional abuse, the religious Congregations and other interested parties. Press advertisements also invited views and submissions as to the exact nature of the fund, how it will operate and the uses to which it will be put. The views expressed in the responses together with the views from the Department's engagement with groups and other interested parties have been considered and my Department expects to report to Government shortly on the matter and will be submitting a Scheme of a Bill to provide for the Statutory Fund.

To date €20.6m has been received in contributions towards the Statutory Fund as follows: Brothers of Charity - €1,000,000; Dominican Friars - €6,500,000; Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul - €1,000,000; Daughters of the Heart of Mary - €1,500,000; Hospitaller Order of St John of God - €1,000,000; Presentation Brothers - €2,000,000; Presentation Sisters - €4,000,000; Sisters of Charity - €1,000,000; Sisters of Our Lady of Charity - €600,000; Sisters of St. Clare - €1,000,000; and Sisters of St Louis - €1,000,000.

These contributions have been deposited in an interest bearing account in the Central Bank of Ireland pending the establishment of the Statutory Fund.