The Redress Board was set up under the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 to make fair and reasonable awards to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools, reformatories and other institutions subject to state regulation or inspection.
The Board, which is wholly independent, is chaired by His Honour Judge Sean O'Leary, Judge of the Circuit Court. All applications for redress are treated in the strictest confidence, and all hearings conducted by the Board are in private.
Making an application for redress does not require you to give up any right you may have to bring a claim for damages in the courts. You can wait and see if the Board makes an award which is acceptable to you. If you wish to accept the award made by the Board, however, you must then agree to give up certain legal rights. If the Board's award is not acceptable, you may simply reject it and proceed with any other legal claims which are available to you.
Please note that the Redress Board cannot decide any question of civil or criminal liability on the part of persons involved in the running of these institutions; that is the responsibility of the courts and the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the Laffoy Commission).
This Web site provides a general outline of the way in which the Board deals with applications for redress. All applications must, however, be considered in accordance with the provisions of the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002 and the Regulations made under the Act. For further information, please ask the Board to send you a copy of 'A Guide to the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002'.
