Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 12 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 2

Written Answers. - Residential Institutions Redress Board.

Róisín Shortall

Ceist:

163 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Science if information will be circulated in the UK regarding the remit of the Residential Institutions Redress Board in view of the fact that almost 40% of survivors of abuse are estimated to reside in Britain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26516/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

The Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 was signed into law by the President on 10 April 2002. The Act provided for the establishment of the Residential Institutions Redress Board. This board is in place and is fully operational. Judge Sean O'Leary, a serving Circuit Court judge, is the chairperson of the redress board and six other members have also been appointed.

The latest information available to my Department indicates that the Residential Institutions Redress Board has received in excess of 2,000 applications to date and has completed the process in 330 cases. A total of 212 offers have been accepted following settlement talks and 66 awards have been made following hearings. I understand that the average award to date has been €80,000 and that awards have varied between €10,000 and €250,000. The board is continuing to receive approximately 50 applications per week.

One of the functions of the board is that it shall make all reasonable efforts, through public advertisement, direct correspondence with persons who were residents of an institution and otherwise to ensure that persons who were residents of an institution are aware of the redress board and its remit. In this regard, the board commenced an advertising campaign in Ireland on 1 December 2002 and it has indicated that a targeted advertisement campaign in the United Kingdom will commence in January or February 2004.

In addition, the Government, in devising its policies in the redress area, was conscious that a significant number of former residents of institutions had emigrated to the United Kingdom, particularly in the late 1940s, the 1950s and the 1960s. Five outreach officers were, therefore, appointed to existing Irish centres in the UK in order to appraise and advise former residents that reside in the UK of developments in respect of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse and the Residential Institutions Redress Board. The outreach services are funded by my Department and continue to operate and provide appropriate advice with regard to redress board and other matters.