The Residential Institutions Redress Board is an independent body established under statute in December 2002 to provide financial redress to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories or other institutions that were subject to State regulation or inspection. According to the most recent figures available to my Department, the board had on 9 December 2005 received approximately 6,900 applications in 2005 and a total of approximately 12,000 applications to date. The board has processed some 4,500 applications to date and the total cost of awards is approximately €332 million.
The redress scheme has now been in operation for almost three years and the board will accept applications up to midnight on 15 December 2005.