Minister for Education Norma Foley has confirmed that Cabinet has approved further supports to survivors of abuse in industrial schools, reformatories and related institutions, in areas including health, advocacy and education.
The supports for those who have received an award under the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme, or a similar court award or settlement, will include an enhanced package of health services and assistance.
It will also include help for those who wish to engage in education and training and access to advocacy supports through a new independent service.
Speaking on the steps of Government Buildings, Ms Foley said that "no amount of money and no amount of supports will adequately or could even possibly accommodate for the horrific injustices that were inflicted on so many young and vulnerable people."
However, she said that "we now choose to do what we can do", and she acknowledged the work of the consultative forum of survivors.
The scheme will also see a technical amendment made to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme ('Fair Deal Scheme') to ensure that previous redress awards received by survivors are not included in the financial assessment should they need to seek nursing home care in the future.
Ms Foley said that the "enhanced" medical and educational supports would require legislation, but she added that this was a "priority" and the Government would "move as quickly as we possibly can".
The Minister said that the advocacy supports would not require legislation and confirmed "we are currently working on it, and it will be made available in the coming months".
Ms Foley added that another issue that had been "flagged by survivors" was that "trauma-informed training" should be made available across the public service, and the Minister said that this was being worked on.
The Minister said that these new ongoing supports were separate to the €110 million made available via Caranua, the independent statutory agency that provides services to survivors of religious institutional abuse, and "broader context of €1.1 billion" spent by the Government on the redress scheme.
In a press release the Minster said that "to date, the State has paid approximately €1bn to survivors of abuse in industrial schools, reformatories and related institutions through the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme and the Education Finance Board."
"In addition, as part of the State's response, it sought contributions from the relevant congregations following the publication of the Ryan Report.
"This fund was disbursed through Caranua, providing €98m in funding supports to approximately 6,000 survivors. The fund has been exhausted and as part of this move to a new phase of ongoing supports, Caranua is now being wound down," Ms Foley said.
