Abuse redress board needs extra ?34m for awards
Added on December 9, 2004
Thursday December 9th 2004
THE Residential Institutions Redress Board is working faster than expected and needs an extra ?34m before the end of December to pay out compensation.
The awards, averaging ?77,000, are paid to persons who, as children, were abused while resident in industrial schools and other institutions.
In recent weeks, in particular, the volume of awards being cleared by the board has been higher than anticipated, Education Minister Mary Hanafin said yesterday.
She told the Dail Select Committee on Education and Science that the board was also committed to meeting all requests for payment within 28 days of the request.
To date, there have been 4,828 claims and 2,107 awards. The total payout to date is ?163m and the department believes the overall bill will be in the region of ?600-?800m, including legal costs.
Katherine Donnelly
? Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ & http://www.unison.ie/