Minister Bruton has announced a 3 week consultation period beginning from today 15 February 2017 in relation to the proposed draft terms of reference of a review of eligibility for Caranua (the Residential institutions Statutory Fund).
The draft terms of reference are available on the Department’s website at the following link: http://www.education.ie/en/Learners/Information/Former-Residents-of-Industrial-Schools/Caranua-Review-of-Eligibility-Draft-Terms-of-Reference.pdf
Caranua is the independent statutory body established in 2013 under the provisions of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. Its role is to oversee the use of the cash contributions of up to €110 million pledged by the religious congregations to support the needs of survivors of residential institutional child abuse. To date some €96 million in contributions (including interest) have been received. The full €110 million in contributions is expected to be received by 2018.
The supports being provided by Caranua include a range of approved services in the areas of health and personal social services, education and housing services. Caranua began accepting applications from former residents in January 2014. To end 2016 Caranua had expended some €56 million in support of almost 4,200 eligible former residents.
Under the 2012 Act those eligible to apply for support were the approximately 15,000 former residents who received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board or equivalent court awards or settlements.
In response to calls made during the passage of the legislation through the Houses of the Oireachtas for the eligibility for access to the fund to be widened, the then Minister for Education and Skills, Mr Ruairí Quinn T.D., gave an undertaking that the question of eligibility for access to the Fund would be reviewed two years after its establishment having regard to the level of uptake of the funding available.
Minister Bruton believes that it is timely to now undertake such a review and, in fulfilment of a commitment he gave in 2016, he is seeking the views of all interested parties with regard to the draft terms of reference only at this point.
Accordingly Minister Bruton invites comments on the draft terms of reference. Such comments should be sent to the following email address caranuaeligibilityreview@education.gov.ie or by post to Caranua Eligibility Review, Department of Education and Skills, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, D01 RC96. The deadline for receipt of comments is Wednesday 8 March 2017.
Please note that responses to this invitation to submit comments will be subject to the Freedom of Information Act (further details are available at www.education.ie/en/The-Department/FOI) in which case particular information exempt under the Freedom of Information Act, such as personal contact details, may be omitted. As this is a public consultation submissions may in any event be published on the department’s website and by submitting comments you are indicating your consent to this approach and waiving your anonymity.