Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 February 2019
86. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the discussions he has had with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in relation to opening the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund to the survivors of a home (details supplied). [8839/19]
View answerUnder section 3 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012, eligibility for assistance from the Fund is confined to those former residents who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or similar awards or settlements in court proceedings and who would otherwise have received an award from the Redress Board.
A review of eligibility was carried out in 2018 and was intended to quantify any likely underspend and, in the event of an underspend, to look at the implications of extending the eligibility criteria to include survivors of other institutions.
The analysis concluded that it was clear that the fund is not going to be undersubscribed and that it should continue to be used for the benefit of those survivors who meet the criteria originally devised.
Because the Fund will continue to be used as originally devised, I haven't had any discussions with my colleague, Minister Zappone on extending it to survivors of the institution mentioned by the Deputy.
