Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005
174 Mr. Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of institutions under her care which came under the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002; if these were residential institutions which did not come within the terms of the Act in which children were in the care of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34215/04]
View answerThe Department of Health and Children did not have children under its direct care while they were resident in institutions. Children were placed in these institutions by the then local health authorities and by health boards who were acting in loco parentis. Under the Health Act 1953 the Minister had responsibility for 14 homes of which ten are included in the Schedule to the Act. The Department of Education and Science has been informed that a further two homes can be considered for inclusion in the Schedule and research is ongoing in relation to the remaining two homes. Responsibility for 23 industrial schools transferred from the Department of Education and Science to the Department of Health under the Education (Transfer of Departmental and Ministerial Functions) Order 1983, SI 358 of 1983. A total of 22 of these institutions are included in the Schedule to the Act and research is ongoing in relation to the remaining one.
Section 4 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 states that the Minister for Education and Science may include additional institutions to the Schedule of the Act on condition that a public body had a regulatory or inspection function in relation to that particular institution. My Department liaises closely with the Department of Education and Science in considering institutions for inclusion on the Schedule of the Act.
