Joe Costello
Question:227 Mr. Costello asked the Minister for Education and Science if he has a record of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1. [17289/04]
View answerTuesday, 15 June 2004
Questions (176)
Written answers
My Department maintains records on former residents of some 59 industrial and reformatory schools who were placed there by way of a court hearing. However, many children were placed in these schools by alternative means such as referral by State agencies or voluntary placements and, in such cases, my Department generally does not hold any records in respect of such children.
Officials at my Department have checked the database of former residents using the details supplied by the Deputy. However, without further information, it is impossible to definitively state whether or not my Department holds records relating to this individual.
In the circumstances, I would recommend that the former resident should make a written application under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 to The Residential Institutions Redress Unit, Department of Education and Science, Athlone, County Westmeath, for access to records concerning his period of residency in the industrial school. The application form that should be used for making such applications requests further detail to that supplied by the Deputy and the additional detail would enable my Department to definitively determine if it holds records relating to the individual in question.