Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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56. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the introduction by Caranua of new guidelines pertaining to obtaining support for funeral expenses, in particular, the requirement that service users divulge their personal circumstances to prospective funeral directors and in order to avail of support for funeral services the service users sign up to the new €15,000 limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44999/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 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. Section 8 of that Act provides that the Board of Caranua may determine whether a particular service is an approved service while section 9 provides that Caranua may determine the criteria by reference to which it may make decisions in respect of applications to it. I have no role in either of those processes.

I understand that in 2016, and arising from feedback from former residents, Caranua decided to include the provision of a contribution towards funeral costs as an approved service. Since then Caranua has been working to put in place an appropriate scheme that will enable this important service to be provided. I understand that the scheme will provide a contribution towards the pre-payment of funeral costs.

I am advised that in order to ensure the effective management of the scheme, Caranua is putting in place formal funding agreements with those former residents who wish to avail of this new support. This requires those applicants to agree to the terms and conditions of the agreement. I am further advised that there has been a significant level of interest shown by former residents in the new scheme.

I welcome this important initiative which will address a need that has been identified by former residents.