General Scheme of a Residential Institutions
Statutory Fund Bill, 2011
Written answers
Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Department of Education and Skills
Residential Institutions Redress Scheme
8:00 pm
Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Question 145: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding funds in respect of a survivor of institutional abuse (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28538/11]
Ruairi Quinn (Minister, Department of Education and Skills; Dublin South East, Labour)
The Government is proceeding with the drafting of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill on the basis of the General Scheme prepared by my Department. These proposals followed extensive consultations with survivors of residential abuse and the groups which support them, together with a public consultation process. The General Scheme, together with a copy of a Report on the Consultation Process is available on my Department’s website. I intend to introduce the legislation in the Autumn with a view to having it enacted by the end of the year.
While some former residents advocate a simple distribution of the available money, I believe that the Fund should target resources at services to support former residents’ needs. To that end, the General Scheme provides for approved services to include, counselling, psychological support services and mental health services together with such health and personal social services, educational services and housing services as the Fund may determine. Further services can be prescribed as appropriate.
The Statutory Fund will focus solely on victims of residential institutional abuse, with eligibility being confined to those who received an award from the Redress Board or an award following a court decision or settlement who would otherwise have received an award from the Redress Board. Over 13,000 victims have received awards from the Redress Board to date. I am satisfied that it is the correct approach, with the focus of the Statutory Fund being on those former residents who have successfully completed the redress process.
The Government intends that some €110 million will be available to the Fund, this being essentially the cash portion of offers made by religious congregations in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. To date, €21.05 million of these cash contributions have been received and placed in a special interest bearing account in the Central Bank pending the establishment of the Statutory Fund.
In terms of survivor groups, my Department currently funds 5 such groups in Ireland and 3 Outreach services in the UK. The groups are funded to provide an information and referral service for former residents wishing to access the various bodies established by the Government such as the Redress Board, the National Counselling Service, the Education Finance Board, etc. All groups are required to submit annual audited accounts or receipts to fully account for all expenditure. They are further required to give a detailed account of all activities undertaken in any one particular year. As responsibility for information for survivors will also be taken on by the Statutory Fund, funding of survivor groups by my Department will cease.
Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
Question 146: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding funds in respect of survivors of institutional abuse (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28539/11]
Ruairi Quinn (Minister, Department of Education and Skills; Dublin South East, Labour)
The Government is proceeding with the drafting of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill on the basis of the General Scheme prepared by my Department. These proposals followed extensive consultations with survivors of residential abuse and the groups which support them, together with a public consultation process. The General Scheme, together with a copy of a Report on the Consultation Process is available on my Department’s website. I intend to introduce the legislation in the Autumn with a view to having it enacted by the end of the year.
While some former residents advocate a simple distribution of the available money, I believe that the Fund should target resources at services to support former residents’ needs. To that end, the General Scheme provides for approved services to include, counselling, psychological support services and mental health services together with such health and personal social services, educational services and housing services as the Fund may determine. Further services can be prescribed as appropriate.
The Statutory Fund will focus solely on victims of residential institutional abuse, with eligibility being confined to those who received an award from the Redress Board or an award following a court decision or settlement who would otherwise have received an award from the Redress Board. Over 13,000 victims have received awards from the Redress Board to date. I am satisfied that it is the correct approach, with the focus of the Statutory Fund being on those former residents who have successfully completed the redress process. The Government intends that some €110 million will be available to the Fund, this being essentially the cash portion of offers made by religious congregations in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report. To date, €21.05 million of these cash contributions have been received and placed in a special interest bearing account in the Central Bank pending the establishment of the Statutory Fund.
Funding for the Education Finance Board, which was established on a statutory basis in 2006, 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 its establishment, grants were paid to eligible applicants under an administrative scheme. At the end of 2010 the total funds available to the Board was €3.649 million approximately with the Board estimating that the remaining funds would be committed prior to the end of 2011 or shortly thereafter. As noted in the Board’s 2010 Annual Report, it has been the Board’s policy to estimate the costs to completion of the course and to reserve the amount of these future costs or the balance of the persons overall grant limit whichever is the lower. If all such commitments at 31 December, 2010 were to be realized, the remaining funds available to the Board for new applications would be reduced by an additional amount in the order of €1.358 million.
Under the terms of the proposed Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill, the Education Finance Board will be dissolved and its staff will transfer to the Statutory Fund, which will assume its functions in relation to the remaining moneys available to the Board. When the remaining moneys fall below €0.1m, the Minister will direct the National Treasury Management Agency to close the relevant account and transfer the remaining balance to the Statutory Fund and the Fund’s functions in relation to the Education Finance Board provisions will be terminated.
95. Deputy Dominic Hannigan 
asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has received any correspondence on the statutory trust fund for industrial school survivors; the steps he is taking to ensure that the trust, when set up, is run in a manner that is desired by the majority of survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36826/11]
Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Ruairí Quinn): On 5th July last, I announced that the Government was proceeding with legislation to provide for the establishment of a statutory fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse, as endorsed by Dáil Éireann in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report in 2009. The legislative proposals followed extensive consultations with survivors of residential abuse and the groups which support them, together with a public consultation process. In this context, the report on the consultation process and the General Scheme of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill were published on my Department’s website.
Some former residents advocated a simple distribution of the available money rather than the establishment of the Statutory Fund. However, as I outlined when I published the legislative proposals, I believe that the Fund should target resources at services to support former residents’ needs. The General Scheme outlines the range of services proposed.
I had a very constructive meeting with groups representing survivors of residential institutional abuse on 22nd July last, when we discussed the Government’s approach to the proposed Statutory Fund. Attendees at that meeting raised a number of issues regarding aspects of the proposed approach as set out in the General Scheme of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill. I have also received a number of submissions from groups and individuals in relation to the proposed legislation. Work is progressing on the drafting of the Bill and the various views expressed to date are being considered as the drafting process continues.
HERE ARE SOME VIDEOS FOUND ON THE EXPERIENCES OF SURVIVORS/WITNESSES OF ABUSE IN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS
Please leave a comment and support us that we receive the proper healing support once promised by State and Religious but never fulfilled.
Ever since Groups were formed, due to their lack of being a professional body, lack of experience lack of education, lack of qualifications, survivors/witnesses have lost out on the true support they really needed to help towards healing.
Groups are still asking for memberships and are trying to inform survivors/witnesses of their websites and what they have to offer as a service to survivors. This is just not good enough behavior, it is not about the groups it is about each and every single survivor/witness who desperately need health and dental support,
We seem to find Groups promoting themselves as a support group, asking to be trusted to represent surivivors/witnesses but to-date survivors health has not been a main priority, by looking at the funds we see this, education, Counseling, Family tracing funds. There is nothing to do with health and dental funds, yet what have survivors suffered? The main fundamental human right, without health we have nothing, without teeth they cannot eat. Yet survivors are going to suffer even more as the Irish Budget 2011, has done it’s health cuts and dental treatments now are down to two fillings a year with no dentures. If the groups were doing their job by survivors they would have put these issues regarding health and dental care to the Government and the Religious both of whom got off very lightly as they are responsible for the damage to thousands of children’s health.
These groups claim there is always information on their sites on what they are trying to do, as if it is up to survivors to ream them, ( hey survivors/witnesses were uneducated and of age and sick ) Some cannot even read a child’s book.
The problem is there is no information in layman’s terms on how or what survivors/witness are entitled to regarding health dental treatments on these Group sites, because they have no knowledge of what survivors/witnesses are entitled to, as they never represented the very ( needs ) of survivors, if they had The Government and Religious would have been confronted with these issues in the first place and again before the budget is declared with cuts to health.
Healing should be first on all agendas, first in all meetings, first in all decisions, first in all funds, but with the damage done to survivors/witnesses they are having to pay for that damage themselves to the disgrace of the Government to the Religious and now especially to the very Groups who are just claiming to support survivors/witnesses.
“Groups”, if you were, are, professional, you would have done the job properly in the first place and seen to it that survivors/witnesses would always have their health and dental treatments free, and exempt from any Budget, you would have kept up with the News and forecasts of cuts to the welfare systems, in other words you would have and should have protected survivors/witnesses from these heartships. The trouble is you Groups, the Government and the Religious have failed the healing of survivors/witnesses of childhood abuse, so how can all of you be trusted, if you do not put these issues right now, and do not add them to a fund but to make it a *(priority)* that what survivors/witnesses are left they can have full treatments for their health and dental at the full expense of State and Church who should be trying to heal those who were effected by their neglect as children in their institutions.
All Groups have done is kept a lid on such matters paid by the Government, the Religious.
Now Groups are asking for donations, for who? for what? does not say exactly.
If there was only one redress then why so many Groups?
None of these Groups have published in “Layman’s terms” nor outlined anything of survivors rights to healing why? there are no rights to healing in Ireland you have to pay for it, so survivors/witnesses are having to pay for the abuse they suffered by the state and religious.
Thus this is the shadow of the Irish Government and church alike, the cloak and its dagger, the abusive father and mother, the jackal and hide, guilt and power. The trail follows your paths and will always show the very truth on how you cared for those who were in your trust. It will be a milestone around your neck for what you did and how you allowed this abuse to take place and neglected to do the right thing by those who have had to live their lives by what you did, you have failed the vulnerable people of Ireland.
FREE HEALING AND DENTAL CARE FOR ALL SURVIVORS NOW!
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/dail/2012/01/19/00020.asp
Other Questions – Proposed LegislationThursday, 19 January 2012 |
7. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Education and Skills the date on which he expects the Residential Institutions Redress Statutory Fund Bill to be established; and if he will provide an update on his engagement with survivors of institutional abuse on the proposed legislation.
Deputy Ruairí Quinn: Work on the drafting of the residential institutions statutory fund Bill is at an advanced stage and I hope to be in a position to publish the Bill in the coming weeks. I had a very constructive meeting with groups representing survivors of residential institutional abuse on 22 July last when we discussed the Government’s approach to the proposed statutory fund to support the needs of victims of residential institutional abuse. Attendees at the meeting raised a number of issues regarding aspects of the proposed approach as set out in the general scheme of the residential institutions statutory fund Bill. I have also received a number of submissions on particular aspects of the proposed legislation, which are being considered as the drafting process continues.
Deputy Seán Crowe: We all agree on the need to keep victims in the loop through discussions and meaningful engagement. A difficulty arises in determining who represents victims. There is no commonality on the issue of how the resources will be spent and so forth. The main issue is to try to involve and engage victims in the process. It would be helpful to give victims a role and say on the final legislation.
Deputy Ruairí Quinn:The Bill is still in the process of being finalised and will be introduced in this session. The points the Deputy makes will be taken into consideration when we have the text before us.
Deputy Brendan Smith: I ask the Minister to ensure the views conveyed at a meeting of 22 July last between all the relevant groups and officials of his Department are taken into account. Some of the groups expressed concern about what they understood would be the broad scope of the work of the statutory fund. The education board has done good work supporting survivors and their children and grandchildren, particularly in the education area. I understand the membership of the board, which still has money to disburse, will fall below quorate in mid-February. It is unlikely the proposed legislation will be passed by then, although the Minister will, I am sure, have the full support of the House in that regard. I understand an amendment could be made to the legislation that established the education board to enable it to continue its work. It is important to avoid instability or uncertainty in supporting survivors and their families through education. The board has funding and is supporting many people in a worthwhile manner. It is important to ensure survivors, their children and, in some cases, grandchildren, are supported through education.
Deputy Ruairí Quinn: The Deputy is partially correct. The board has money available to it but also has ongoing liabilities arising from educational commitments it has made which extend beyond one year. I will get a note for the Deputy on the issue. Subject to confirmation, I am of the opinion, based on advice I have read and which I am now remembering, that the board’s commitments match the funds it has on deposit. For this reason, it will not make any fresh or new allocations. It is not necessary, therefore, to extend the lifetime of the board, as the Deputy suggests. I will confirm this in writing.
Deputy Seán Crowe: When will the heads of the Bill be published? On the Magdalene—–
Deputy Ruairí Quinn: We have another question on that issue. In case we do not reach it, the Magdalene survivors do not qualify in that regard.
Statutory fund will support the former residents of institutions
By Catherine Shanahan
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
THE Government is to proceed with legislation to establish a statutory fund with the power to arrange and grant-aid a range of services to support victims of residential institutional abuse.
The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund will be funded by the €110 million in cash offered to it by religious congregations by way of compensation to those abused in their care.
It follows extensive consultations with survivors of residential abuse and a public consultation process.
The seven-member fund will be run by a chief executive answerable to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and will fall within the scope of the Ombudsman and Freedom of Information legislation.
Announcing the measure yesterday, Education and Skills Minister Ruairi Quinn said more than 13,000 former residents who have received awards from the Residential Institutions Redress Board will be eligible to apply for support from the fund.
“Some former residents advocate a simple distribution of the available money,” he said.
“However, I believe that the fund should target resources at services to support former residents’ needs, such as counselling, psychological support services and mental health services, health and personal social services, educational services and housing services.”
To date, contributions of €20.6m have been received towards the statutory fund. These and the remaining contributions to be received will be invested in an investment account to be established by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA).
The fund will take over the functions of the Education Finance Board for abuse survivors, which will be dissolved. As responsibility for information for survivors will also be taken on by the fund, funding of survivor groups by the Department of Education will cease.
The fund will have the power to hold and dispose of land or an interest in land, and may acquire, hold and dispose of any other property. Two of its members will be former residents of institutions.
Under the proposed legislation, anyone who knowingly makes a false statement or produces a false document for the purposes of obtaining assistance from the fund will be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to €1,500 or imprisonment for up to 6 months, or both. If convicted on indictment, the fine imposed can be up to €13,000 or imprisonment for up to 3 years, or both.
REGARDING THE STRANGE HAPPENINGS OF THE MEDIEVAL TIMES TO THE PRESENT REGARDING RELIGIONS.
The very nature of denial of their own sexuality as man and women claim they do not have sex has to be questioned.
The very nature of these men and women who know nothing on raising up innocent children as a family.
The very nature of these men and women locking themselves up and torturing themselves in the name of God.
The very nature of these men and women coming from places we do not know from what kind of backgrounds no one knows only the Head of the religious who accepted them into the priesthood and the nunnery.
The very nature of not knowing their personal qualifications in education and all the above, can only lead way to cruelty and abuse toward children.
If any person who is not religious and does the above they would be classed as a very dangerous person, and everyone would want to know where they are so they would know if their neighborhood is safe or not, these people are no different.
We as parents should look into our children’s eyes and think how we will protect our loving little ones from such Religious falsehoods.
We make sure they get a better life than we ever did.
There is enough information in survivors/witnesses of abuse lives for the Government to protect our children through out the future.
Religion should be taught in the homes of those who want it, that way the priests and so on can visit the Families they claim they want to help where everything is above board and the children are not left alone with them.
*( This goes for all religions. )*
My answer to the people out there is NEVER leave your children alone because someone has a fixation on religion.
Educate children not to trust such people just because they say they are religious, a Vicar, a Priest, a Nun A bishop, a Pastor even the Pope and so on.
If I never put the word “RELIGIONS” in the title, but instead put the word “PRISONS” then this would make sense to the world, the only difference here to me is that one is State Punishment Institution, the other is a Volunteered Institution.
Looking at it the actual Institutions they are very close very close in their set up, just one claims to be good in society and the other is locked up for being caught doing bad in society but more than often many love their children.
Do Witnesses/Survivors understand fully their rights with welfare and social issues?
The damage done to Witnesses/Survivors of Abuse, and how it has affected their lives is being ignored I believe.
Mr. Quinn in this video goes on about such damage as he publicly declares, and I quote ” ( talking about a memorial) we such have a living memorial with their stories and our records of RELIGIOUS and STATE OF ABUSE” so survivors can point to this monument and explain to their children and their children’s children, why they (survivors) due to their stolen childhoods could not live their full lives as ADULTS.
Here is one of the admittance by the Education minister himself.
Please listen to this Video and see how he uses us and our hurt to gain access to the Money and Church buildings as he goes on to take take and take. The news of survivors was high and fresh after The Ryan Report. I believe he used us as a mere Platform to gain the access to Religious moneys and buildings.
The very reason His party like the previous have taken 500 million plus euro form the 600 million plus euro to leave survivors a mere lousy 110 million euro. They claim it on the grounds it is their 50% towards the Redress act and the costs.
Wow so much for the Apology, Now he is in power is Dictating that the lousy 110 euro will be set up in a trust fund to be titled A Statuary Fund.
It doe not end there He as Minister of Education wants to dump the Education fund, the counseling fund and the family tracing fund into this Statuary Fund, leaving what ever is left for welfare problems.
So does this now lead the way for two people who commit the same crime will now only have to pay 50% each for that crime, or even do 50% of the time each?
Secondly does this Statuary Fund now leave way for the Government to dictate how charities are to spend their money donated to them by a public that has already paid their taxes?
I end here by saying,
Giving the very lack, or no education, Survivors have no chance of knowing where they stand today, and here we see The Government who admitted openly THEY were as so is the Religious Guilty of these horrific crimes of abuse.
The welfare of these people who could not live a full adult life (as Mr. Quinn puts it in his own words) is being totally neglected as the finance to support them has been stolen by the Government from the 600 million plus euro contributions of the Religious.
It is not the community welfare who should be looking after survivors nor should unqualified, inexperienced, Groups, who’s staff have had no police check ups to work with the most vulnerable.
This 600 million plus should have been the finances to set up such a professional office to support those who suffered at the hands of Religious and State. witnesses/Survivors should have had this office from the start.
The Government and the Religious were so wrong to allow so many groups who were unqualified and inexperienced claim they represent survivors. The Government and the Religious were also very wrong to sit down and hold meetings behind closed doors with such Groups. Other wise any Tom, Dick,and Harry can run any office.
No documentation was ever printed in Layman’s terms for survivors to understand their human rights.
Basically survivors have had no chance to understand anything. It was so easy to cheat the survivors out of millions.
FEEL FREE TO POST ANY NEWS ON “WITNESSES” OF CHILDHOOD ABUSE IN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS ALSO KNOWN ( WITHOUT CONSENT ) AS “SURVIVORS”.
I say this because it is obvious the term SURVIVOR does not really explain what or how we are surviving in our everyday lives today. We are all witnesses of our own experiences as well as others who suffered the Industrial schools and of course the Magdalene Laundries.
We are also not being listened to, nor heard, nor understood by any government office who claimed on doing so in the Dail to the public tax payer.
industrialschool
industrialschools 