Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28172/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Government is proceeding with the drafting of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill on the basis of the General Scheme prepared by my Department. These proposals followed extensive consultations with survivors of residential abuse and the groups which support them, together with a public consultation process. The General Scheme, together with a copy of a Report on the Consultation Process is available on my Department's website. I intend to introduce the legislation in the Autumn with a view to having it enacted by the end of the year.

While some former residents advocate a simple distribution of the available money, I believe that the Fund should target resources at services to support former residents' needs. To that end, the General Scheme provides for approved services to include, counselling, psychological support services and mental health services together with such health and personal social services, educational services and housing services as the Fund may determine. Further services can be prescribed as appropriate.

The Statutory Fund will focus solely on victims of residential institutional abuse, with eligibility being confined to those who received an award from the Redress Board or an award following a court decision or settlement who would otherwise have received an award from the Redress Board. Over 13,000 victims have received awards from the Redress Board to date. I am satisfied that it is the correct approach, with the focus of the Statutory Fund being on those former residents who have successfully completed the redress process.

The Government intends that some €110 million will be available to the Fund, this being essentially the cash portion of offers made by religious congregations in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. To date, €21.05 million of these cash contributions have been received and placed in a special interest bearing account in the Central Bank pending the establishment of the Statutory Fund.