I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act amend the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012; to provide for extra approved services for former residents, in accordance with section 3 of the Act; to increase the efficiency in which applicants are processed; to remove a commitment in the Act to establish a special account in the name of the Minister for Health.
The reason I have drafted the Bill is because I have received an avalanche of correspondence from Caranua applicants who have been utterly demoralised by the way in which that organisation is administering the fund. The people involved were the victims of our industrial schools and they are incredibly vulnerable persons who have already been damaged by a shameful episode in our history. They must be treated with severe kindness, understanding and care because of their experiences. However, the experiences of those who have contacted me have been almost exclusively negative in terms of their interaction with Caranua. Subsequent to us tabling the Bill, the annual report of the appeals officer for 2015 has indicated a rise in the number of appeals and highlighted precisely some of the failings my legislation is designed to address. The provisions of the Bill are very much in tandem with the findings of the report and constitute an attempt to address some of the failings in the scheme.
It should include other survivors who were not previously in receipt of a settlement, which is also a measure recommended by the appeals officer. Why should people be excluded for a second time when they have already been left out? It provides for a widening of the number of services and types of services of which people can avail to include, for example, the cost of a funeral, which is something that frequently arises. There are a number of limitations in the original Act which do not need to be there.
The Bill has a clause that removes the promise of surplus funds being distributed to the children's hospital, because it is very clear that there will be no surplus funds from the administration of the scheme. The report of the appeals officer is something I recommend all Deputies read. It highlights the breakdown in communications between the administrators of the fund and the clients, with very long delays, unclear guidelines and protracted procedures which have been very damaging for people who have been very badly let down by the State already. The Bill goes some way to address some of the shortcomings and I would be happy to see it progressed urgently.
