Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)
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302. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the options for a victim of abuse in industrial schools, now residing in the United States and currently receiving counselling through the National Counselling Service, who has been told that they will require counselling and medication for the rest of their lives and is concerned in relation to the way these services will be provided when the statutory fund runs out next year. [37401/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, which was established earlier this year, is tasked with determining the range of approved services which former residents can be assisted with from the Statutory Fund. This Fund is being financed by the cash contributions of up to €110 million pledged by the religious congregations to support the needs of some 15,000 survivors of residential institutional child abuse. Counselling, psychological support and mental health services are one the four classes of services specified in the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act, 2012 within which the Board can determine approved services. The Board is also required to determine the criteria by reference to which it will make decisions in respect of applications to it.

The Board has met on a number of occasions since its establishment and is considering the arrangements to be put in place for the operation of the Fund. In performing its functions the Board will have regard to the existence of publicly available services.

In this regard, the Deputy will be aware that the National Counselling Service, which operates under the auspices of the Health Service Executive, provides counselling services to those who have been abused in childhood, with priority given to those abused in residential institutional care. In addition, the HSE also provides funding for psychotherapy and counselling services for victims of institutional abuse living abroad through the External Counselling Claims fund.

The establishment of the Statutory Fund does not affect the entitlement of former residents to receive support from these services.