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Gnáthamharc

Education Finance Board

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 May 2012

Thursday, 17 May 2012

Ceisteanna (54)

Brian Stanley

Ceist:

54 Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Education and Skills is his attention has been drawn to the fact that children of survivors of institutional abuse, who have received financial assistance from the Education Finance Board to do year one or two of education courses are being denied funding to complete those courses; and the steps he is taking to rectify this matter. [24618/12]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Education Finance Board is an independent statutory body established in 1996 pursuant to section 23 of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Act 2005. Funding for the Board has been provided from the €12.7 million contribution provided by the religious congregations under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement specifically earmarked for educational support for former residents and their families. Prior to the establishment of the Board, grants were paid to eligible applicants under an administrative scheme.

The principal functions of the Board are to pay grants in accordance with the provisions of the 2005 Act; determine and publish the criteria for the payment of such grants; provide information in relation to education services for which grants are available.

Grants approved by the Board are in respect of tuition fees and educational assistance for the current academic year. Following its establishment, the Board decided in the case of applicants undertaking multi-annual courses to estimate the costs to completion of the applicant's course and to reserve the lower of the amount of these future costs or the balance of the person's overall grant limit in accordance with the annual and overall limits as set in the Criteria for Awarding Grants of the relevant year.

The level of applications to the Board increased significantly after 2008 and during 2011 it was clear to the Board that its remaining funds would be depleted at an early date. The Board decided that it could continue its policy of reserving funds for subsequent years of multi-annual courses only in the case of applicants to whom grants had already been awarded for the 2010-2011 or previous academic years. Accordingly, since July 2011 new applicants have been advised that their grant approval is a once-off grant with no commitment to any future grant in the case of their application.

The Board advised me last year that it expected that its funds would be fully allocated on applications received by end November, 2011. It publicised that it was not therefore in a position to process any applications received after that date. The Board has a backlog of applications received prior to 30th November, which it is continuing to process until the remaining funds are fully allocated.

Part 4 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill, 2012 dissolves the Education Finance Board and transfers its functions to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board in relation to the moneys remaining from the €12.7 million.

The Deputy will also be aware that the proposed Statutory Fund will be in a position to assist eligible former residents to avail of education services. It is expected that some 15,000 former residents, whether living here in Ireland or abroad, will successfully complete the redress process and be eligible to apply for services that they need. I am aware of demands to widen eligibility to include relatives of former residents, including children and grandchildren. However, I believe that having regard to the potential pool of applicants and the maximum funds of €110m that will be available to the Fund, the proposed approach is correct. The question of reviewing the eligibility under the Statutory Fund could, however, be considered following the establishment of the Fund in the event of applications not resulting in a significant expenditure of the Fund.

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