The Residential Institutions Redress Board was formally established on 16 December 2002, and application forms have been made available from the board's offices to applicants and their legal representatives since that date. The redress board is an independent body and my Department has no input or influence in its carrying out of its functions. However the board's web site does indicate that currently over 4,000 application forms have been issued by the board to potential applicants and that the number of applications received by the board to date is 773.