Information re: Residential Institutions Redress Board

Hands On has recently been contacted by Frank Ward & Co Solicitors (www.frankward.com) to make us aware that the Minister for Education And Skills recently announced that the Redress Board will close on September 17th 2011.

The Residential Institutions Redress Board was established 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” (www.rirb.ie)

Although the original closing date was December 2005, there have been a number of successful late applications from members of the Deaf community. Frank Ward & Co advise any person who has not yet made an application but may be entitled to do so, to contact their solicitor as soon as possible so that their application may be considered prior to the final closing date on Sept 17th.

For further information visit rirb.ie or contact your solicitor

Best regards
Hands On

From www.rirb.ie:

You should apply to the Board if you can answer ‘Yes’ to all the following questions:

Were you resident in an industrial school, reformatory school, children’s home, special hospital or a similar institution at any time while you were under the age of 18?
Were you subjected to sexual, physical or emotional abuse or serious neglect while you were resident in that institution?
Have you suffered physical, psychiatric or other injury consistent with that abuse?

It is not necessary for a person to have been prosecuted or convicted of any criminal offence in connection with the abuse.

Please note that the Board may not be able to pay redress in the following circumstances:

You were not resident in the institution at the time of the abuse.
The institution in which you were resident is not listed in the Act**.
The person who was abused died before 11 May 1999.
You have already received damages from a court or a settlement in respect of the abuse.
You are unable to satisfy the Board that you are entitled to redress under the terms of the Act.

**Institutions that are named in the Act (www.rirb.ie/resact.asp) include:
St. Joseph’s School for Hearing Impaired Boys, Cabra, Dublin 7
St. Mary’s School for Hearing Impaired Girls, Cabra, Dublin 7