Child Abuse

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2015

Tuesday, 10 February 2015

Questions (534)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

534. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the State's legal reasoning (details supplied) behind the decision to only allow those who were abused after the date a complaint was made regarding a teacher to be entitled to compensation, leaving those abuse victims, who for whatever reason did not come forward or did so too late, without any acknowledgement by the State of what was done to them, and thereby leaving them without any entitlement to compensation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5951/15]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Skills

In its response to the ECHR judgment, the Government agreed that out of court settlements be offered to those bringing cases of school child sexual abuse against the State where the cases come within the terms of the ECHR Decision and satisfy the Statute of Limitations. In pursuing settlements, the State Claims Agency will be considering cases of school child sexual abuse where there was a prior complaint about the teacher concerned to school authorities. The rationale for this approach is that these were the circumstances on which the European Court of Human Rights judgment was based.