Below are questions asked in the Oireachtas, relating to Caranua and other areas relevant to survivors

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the name, position and grade of all Caranua staff; the vacancies at the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): Section 17 of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 provides that Caranua shall appoint, with the consent of the Minister of Education and Skills and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the number of staff as it may from time to time determine.  The approved staffing complement is currently 24.6 full time equivalent posts. Staff are appointed to equivalent civil service grades and are placed on the appropriate authorised salary scale. Relevant details are set out in the following table. I understand that there are currently three vacancies in Caranua’s authorised staffing complement and I am advised that a recruitment process is currently underway to fill two of these posts and that the recruitment process to fill the third post will commence shortly.

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund

Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the refusal by Caranua to provide funeral expenses for a person (details supplied) who was a survivor of a residential institution and following five days’ testimony at the commission received a payment from the redress board in view of the fact that Caranua has amended its criteria to include funeral expenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 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 institutional child abuse. The determination of the criteria by reference to which Caranua may make decisions in respect of applications to it is a statutory function of the organisation itself and I have no role in that process. Furthermore, I have no role in Caranua’s day to day operations including in relation to the processing of individual applications. I should point out also that decisions of Caranua may be appealed to an independent Appeals Officer appointed under section 21 of the 2012 Act and that a person who is affected by a decision of an Appeals Officer may appeal to the High Court on a point of law.

As no details were supplied with the Deputy’s question I suggest that, if she wishes to raise a particular case, she makes direct contact with Caranua using the dedicated email address for members of the Houses of the Oireachtas (oireachtas@caranua.ie).