Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will respond to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8059/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Under the terms of the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, eighteen religious congregations agreed to make a contribution of €128 million towards the cost of the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme, which included €12.7m to be used for educational programmes for former residents of the residential institutions and their families. The Education (Former Residents of Certain Institutions for Children) Finance Board was established in 2006 as a statutory body to administer the fund, which had been previously administered by an ad hoc committee. The Education Finance Board provides financial support to individuals who were resident in institutions referred to in the Schedule to the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002, and family members to facilitate them in accessing educational programmes. Further information is available from the Board at its offices on Floor 3, Frederick Court, 24/27 North Frederick Street, Dublin 1 or on its website www.educationfinanceboard.com.

Following the publication of the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, the Ryan Report, the eighteen religious congregations who were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement were called upon to commit to making further substantial contributions by way of reparation. Subsequently, it was proposed to utilise €110m of the offers of contributions to be made over the next few years to establish a Statutory Fund to support the needs of survivors of residential institutional child abuse. My Department has undertaken a comprehensive consultation process and has prepared proposals, together with a General Scheme of a Bill to provide for the Statutory Fund. I intend discussing these proposals with my Cabinet colleagues in the near future.

To date, €20.6m of these cash contribution offers have been received and placed in a special interest bearing account in the Central Bank pending the establishment of the Statutory Fund. The remaining congregations are awaiting confirmation that the legislation will provide for the charitable status of their contributions to the Fund or sight of the proposed terms and structure of the Fund, prior to making their initial contributions. The offers of contributions envisaged that these contributions would be made over a period of years.