Trevor Sargent
Question:432 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will ensure that persons (details supplied) who were day pupils are included in the compensation scheme being considered. [30980/01]
Vol. 545 No. 4
432 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will ensure that persons (details supplied) who were day pupils are included in the compensation scheme being considered. [30980/01]
The Deputy will be aware that the Residential Institutions Redress Bill, 2001 proposes a scheme of compensation for a particular set of circumstances. These arise from widespread public concern about abuse of children while they were in care in institutions over which the State had significant supervisory or regulatory responsibilities, in particular in orphanages, industrial schools and reformatory schools. I have previously outlined why the scheme applies to these institutions and not to other places, including ordinary schools, where children suffered abuse. I have referred to the fact that the children concerned were separated from their parents and as they did not enjoy the care and protection which children in the care of their parents normally enjoy, they relied to a significant extent on public bodies who had statutory duties to protect them. These considerations do not apply to day schools where public bodies did not have the kind of supervisory functions, powers or duties which applied in the residential institutions and the children themselves were resident with their families.