Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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242. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to consider an amendment to the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 for cases to be re-examined which have considerable new information available. [10597/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Residential Institutions Redress Scheme was established under the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 to administer a redress scheme to persons who as children were abused in any of 139 scheduled institutions. Awards under the scheme were made following applications from and evidence provided by the survivors, including evidence of having been a resident in one of more of these institutions and evidence of injury arising out of abuse suffered while in residence.

The original closing date for applications was 16th December 2005. The Act allowed the Residential Institutions Redress Board to accept applications after that date in exceptional circumstances. The Board's power to accept late application submissions ceased on 16th September 2011 in accordance with the provisions of the Residential Institutions Redress (Amendment ) Act 2011. The September 2011 date was almost 6 years after the original closing date.

I don't propose to consider an amendment to the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 for cases to be re-examined. Where survivors were unhappy with a decision made by the Board, there was a Residential Institutions Review Committee in existence. I am satisfied that the structures in place for survivors to bring their applications to the Redress Board and the extended time frame provided every opportunity for survivors to do so.