Written answers
Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Department of Education and Skills
Residential Institutions Redress Scheme
John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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136. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reopen the Residential Institutions Redress Board to individual survivors who, due to personal circumstances, were not in a position to pursue a claim at that time. [14436/19]
Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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The Redress Scheme operated by the Residential Institutions Redress Board which was in place for people who had suffered abuse in a number of scheduled institutions had an original closing date of 31st December 2005 but the Board were able to accept applications after that closing date where exceptional circumstances existed. The Board continued to accept late applications until the Residential Institutions Redress (Amendment) Act, 2011 was enacted. This legislation removed the Board’s power to accept late applications received on or after the 17th September 2011.
The Redress Board accepted applications over a 9 year period and there are no plans to re-open the scheme.
John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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137. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to accommodate bona fide survivors who were deemed ineligible for Caranua support services on the basis that they did not receive redress board or court awards or settlements with religious orders in the first instance. [14437/19]
Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Under Section 3 of the 2012 Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act, eligibility for assistance from the Fund is confined to those former residents of scheduled institutions who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or similar awards or settlements in court proceedings and who would otherwise have received an award from the Redress Board. The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund is a limited fund and an eligibility review on widening access to the Fund concluded that the Fund was going to be fully utilised by the survivors it was designed to reach. There isn't an alternate Fund for other survivors who were not eligible to avail of Caranua's support services. However ,there are services that all survivors can avail of and this includes the HSE's counselling service which offers face-to-face appointments and is a nationwide service.
I am conscious that access to mainstream services including the type of community and welfare supports provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the housing supports provided by the local authorities should be made as easy as possible for survivors. My Department is leading on an inter-Departmental group which is examining how existing State services can best meet the needs of survivors into the future. It will be informed by survivors experiences of mainstream services and their views.
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