Residential Institutions Redress Scheme Eligibility

Catherine Connolly (Independent): To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when redress under the existing scheme will be extended to former residents of a home (details supplied) in view of the finding of a report; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Katherine Zappone TD: The Commission’s Second Interim Report made a recommendation that the decision to exclude certain institutions from the Residential Institutions Redress Act should be re-examined by Government. The Deputy may wish to note that policy responsibility for this scheme is within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills and his Department.

The Government did examine these matters very carefully last year on foot of the Commission’s report and further decided not to re-open the scheme, or extend it to any other institutions. I confirmed this decision when I published the report last April. As the Deputy will be aware this redress scheme has not been extended to any additional institutions since 2005 and it has been closed to late applications since September 2011.

In examining this matter the Government decided it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the findings and conclusions of the Commission on relevant matters.

When the Commission submits its final reports, its conclusions on all matters regarding the treatment of former residents taken into careful consideration when determining the State’s response.