Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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266. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of hours the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board has met since it was formed this year. [40775/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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267. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his view on whether it is sufficient that the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board meets once a month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40776/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider directing the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board to hold meetings on a series of consecutive days until it has resolved outstanding issues. [40777/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a progress report on the work of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board to date including costs and expenses claimed by each member. [40778/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 266 to 269, inclusive, together.

The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (RISF) has been established to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million, pledged by the religious congregations, to support the needs of survivors of institutional child abuse, across a range of services, including mental health services, health and personal social services, education and housing services. In accordance with the RISF Act, 2012, the RISF is independent in the performance of its functions and apart from fixing the date, time and place of the first meeting, I have no function in relation to the frequency or duration of its meetings.

Since its establishment in March of this year the RISF has met on a regular basis. I understand that the Board has been working on the arrangements to be put in place for the operation of the Fund, with a particular focus on developing its understanding of the range of needs of survivors, through consultation, both in Ireland and in the United Kingdom, with survivor groups and individual survivors. In addition the practical arrangements of recruiting staff and establishing an office are being progressed. I understand that to date, over 800 survivors have registered with the Board via its new website which also contains useful information regarding the Board and its work to date.

As the Deputy may be aware the Board members are unremunerated and I have asked the Board to respond directly to the Deputy in regard to the Board members' expenses.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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270. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board has determined the range of approved services within four classes of service stipulated in the Act, that is, mental health services including counselling and psychological support, health and personal social services, education services and housing services; the criteria by reference to which it will make decisions in respect of applications to those services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40779/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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272. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which funds from the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund will be released to survivors of institutional abuse; and if the board has the requisite powers to refund former residents of institutions who have expended personal funds on health and other services stipulated in the Act before or since the establishment day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40781/13]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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275. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he believes the 2012 Act establishing the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund contains the requisite powers to allow the RISF board to continue funding annually renewable life-skills courses for qualifying former residents of institutions commenced under the authority of the former Education Finance Board, the dissolved body, but not completed or renewed due to depletion of funds at that board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40784/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 270, 272 and 275 together.

It is a matter for the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF) to perform the statutory functions assigned to it. These functions include determining and publishing the approved services under section 8 of the Act and the criteria by reference to which it will make decisions in respect of applications. It is a matter for the Board to address these tasks. With regard to the provision of funding for annually renewable courses and the refunding of personal expenditure incurred by individuals, the Deputy will appreciate that these are matters for the RISF Board to consider having regard to the provisions of the legislation.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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271. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the salary being paid to the chief executive officer of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund board will be deducted from the €110 million RISF. [40780/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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All expenditure incurred by the Board in the performance of its functions, including its payroll costs, are met from the investment account operated by the National Treasury Management Agency. In accordance with the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 the investment account is financed from the contributions from the religious congregations of up to €110 million and any associated interest.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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273. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if all 15,000 names and addresses of former residents of institutions who received awards at the Residential Institutions Redress Board have been transferred to the RISF board; if he will state the precise date of the data transfer and format or formats used for the transfer and explain the reason such data transfer appears to have occurred before any applications have been considered by the RISF board; if he will provide assurances regarding the security of the data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40782/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Those entitled to apply for assistance from the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund (RISF) are those who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) and other similar Court awards. Section 24 of the RISF Act, 2012 provides that the RIRB can furnish the RISF with the name, address and date of birth of recipients of awards. This transfer of information ensures that eligible persons are not required to submit proofs of awards. The Act stipulates that the information can only be used by the RISF to determine a person's eligibility to make an application to the Board.

I understand that the RISF has been furnished with this information in relation to awards made at the time by the RIRB. Concerns regarding the use and security of this personal information were raised by a survivor group with my Department. These concerns were discussed with the RISF which has confirmed that the information will only be used for the purpose as set out in the Act and that the information is held securely.