Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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253. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for a memorial to remember residential institution abuse victims as recommended in the 2009 Ryan report, in view of the fact that €500,000 has been set aside for the project for the past eight years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39731/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the proposed Memorial, which won an open competition, was called the Journey of Light and was designed by Studio Negri and Hennessy and Associates.  The design concept was that the Memorial would be integrated with the Garden of Remembrance and would provide an enduring symbol of lost innocence to inspire future generations to ensure the protection of all children.

However, An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the Memorial in November 2013 on the grounds that it would have an adverse impact on the setting, character and function of the Garden of Remembrance.

It was suggested that a central Dublin location could be identified on a cost neutral basis with appropriate zoning which could be used as a site for the Memorial.  The difficulty was that the winning design uses the physical features of the Garden of Remembrance site and the design cannot be created on a different site.

The Journey of Light was the only design selected after holding an international competition.  No other design was even shortlisted.

My Department's officials have recently written to the original Memorial committee to get their views on whether there are alternatives to commissioning a sculpture piece but which would act as a permanent reminder of Ireland's grim history of children's lives in State run institutions.