Residential Institutions Redress Board

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Newsletter November 2004
Friday, 26th November 2004

This is the 7th in a series of newsletters which the Board has decided to produce to keep applicants informed from time to time as to the procedures it follows and other developments. The Board's 'Guide to Hearing Procedures' issued in April 2003 and the Board's annual report issued to the Minister for Education and Science in April of this year. In October of this year the Board issued the second edition of its Guide to the Redress Scheme.

Applications:

The Board continues to receive applications at a steady rate and has received a total of 4908 to date. The Board notifies applicants once it has received all necessary documentation in relation to their case. These notifications, known as completion letters, issue at a rate commensurate with the Board's ability to finalise applications and therefore do not always issue immediately after the Board has complied with its obligations in relation to the notification of relevant persons as outlined in the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2002. At the time of writing it can take up to 6 months for a case to be scheduled once the Board has issued a completion letter to the applicant or his/her solicitor indicating that the application is ready to proceed to hearing or settlement. This timeframe does not apply to those entitled to priority on grounds of age or medical condition.

Awards:

To date the Board has completed the process in 2234 cases. 1659 offers have been made following settlement talks and 501 awards have been made following hearings. Two applicants have rejected their awards. No award was made in one application. In applications covering 73 applicants refusals have issued for one reason or another. These applications have been refused as, on the face of the documentation, the application was outside the Boards terms of reference as laid down in the 2002 Act. In other words the applications did not relate to residential institutions as defined in the Act. These applications are determined by the Board immediately on receipt so that the applicant is informed at the earliest possible date that his/her application is outside the ambit of the redress scheme.

The average value of awards to date is €77,500, the smallest award being €0.00 and the largest award being €300,000.

Redress Board Bands

The breakdown of awards by Redress Band is as follows:

 

Redress Bands	Total Weightings for Severity of Abuse and Injury/Effects of Abuse	Award Payable by way of Redress	Number	Percentage
V	70 or more	€200,000 - €300,000	12	0.56%
IV	55 – 69	€150,000 - €200,000	61	2.82%
III	40 – 54	€100,000 - €150,000	437	20.23%
II	25 – 39	€ 50,000 - €100,000	1283	59.40%
I	Less than 25	Up to €50,000	367	16.99%
Total			2160	100%

Sittings

The Board sits every day in its premises in Clonskeagh and now completes approximately 180 cases per month. It has also sat in Galway and Limerick. The Board sits for approximately one week per month in Cork and will continue to do as long as there are sufficient applications from the region.

New Institutions

By Order entitled the Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002 (Additional Institutions) Order 2004 dated November 9th 2004 the Minister for Education and Science amended the Schedule to the 2002 Redress Act by adding the following institutions:

Bartres Childrens' Home, Kill O'the Grange, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.

Chester Lodge, Moate, Co. Westmeath.

Finglas Child & Adolescent Centre, Dublin 11 comprising of:

(i) National Remand & Assessment Unit (formerly St. Michael's Remand & Assessment Centre), and

(ii) The Care & Education Unit (formerly St. Laurence's Industrial School)

Holy Family School, Renmore, Co. Galway.

Kilcornan Centre, Clarinbridge, Co. Galway.

Marlborough House, Washerwoman's Hill, Glasnevin, Dublin 11.

Oberstown Boys' Centre, Lusk, Co. Dublin.

Oberstown Girls' Centre, Lusk, Co. Dublin.

St. Columba's Industrial School, Killybegs, Co. Donegal.

St. Patrick's Mother and Baby Home, Navan Road, Dublin.

St. Philomena's, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin.

St. Teresa's, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.

Trinity House, Lusk, Co. Dublin.

Any applicant who was a resident in one of the institutions listed above and who has lodged an application with the Board (and who has not mentioned his or her residence in one of the above institutions on the application form in circumstances where s/he wishes to make a complaint in respect of his or her time in that institution) should, for safety's sake, contact the Board. Applicants who have already received an award in respect of a listed institution and who wish to make an additional claim in respect of a newly listed institution should also contact the Board.

Review of Publications

The Board has updated its 'Guide to the Redress Scheme under the Residential Institutions Redress Act, 2002' to reflect the minor changes to  the Board's procedures in relation to the scheme which have taken place since its inception. The revised guide is on the Board's website or available from the Board's office free of charge by phoning (01) 2680600 from Ireland or 00 353 1 2680600 from outside Ireland.

Advice on Financial Management of Award.

As stated in the October newsletter the Board has appointed MABS (Money Advice and Budgeting Service) to operate a free, confidential and independent service through which applicants who have received an award may be given advice as to financial management of the award. Its purpose is to give advice which is general in nature, covering the options open to award recipients, but not directing them to named financial institutions or brokers. MABS are locally based independent information and advice providers operating as limited companies.

MABS has been in operation since 1992 and more details about it are available on website: www.mabs.ie. The Redress Board scheme will be separate from MABS usual advice services.

The Board has now advised all award recipients of the service through their solicitors or directly if unrepresented. All future award recipients will be advised of the service once they have accepted an award.  MABS may be contacted on 01/ 8645656.

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