Vol. 539 No. 1
406 Mr. Currie asked the Minister for Education and Science if, following the publication of the Residential Institutions Redress Bill which deals with compensation of persons abused in residential institutions, he will state his plans for compensation to other abused persons particularly those who were fostered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18629/01]
436 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to comments by persons (details supplied) relating to the inclusion of day pupils in the proposed compensation tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18722/01]
459 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if, further to the publication of the Residential Institutions Redress Bill and the exclusion of day pupils from its provisions, he will agree to meet a group (details supplied) to discuss the way in which its concerns can be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19026/01]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 406, 436 and 459 together.
The Residential Institutions Redress Bill, 2001, provides for the payment of financial awards to people who have or who have had injuries, either psychological or physical, that are consistent with abuse in childhood. The Bill is focused on children who were in residential care in institutions for which public bodies had regulatory and supervisory functions, typically industrial schools, reformatories and children's homes. These institutions were unique in their operation, management, environment and in the extent to which they had complete control over the lives of the children resident in them. The circumstances of the operation of the institutions, in particular the absence of parental involvement, and the statutory duties of public bodies to supervise their operation on behalf of the Irish people leads to a special responsibility on those public bodies and the public at large to provide reasonable compensation when people have suffered injury as a result of abuse which occurred to them in the institutions.
Public bodies did not have the same level of regulatory responsibility in the case of other institutions, notably ordinary day schools which were and remain overwhelmingly privately owned and publicly funded, and had very limited authority to become involved in their affairs. In the circumstances, the Bill is confined to those people for whom, when they were children, public bodies had special responsibilities in very special circumstances.
The Bill was published on 13 June and in the interests of those who suffered in these residential institutions, I hope that it can be debated and enacted as soon possible by the Oireachtas. I would like to assure the Deputies that during the course of the debate and enactment, I and my Department are prepared to listen to and consider the views of any person or group with an interest in the Bill.
