Thank you for your recent email in relation to the proposed establishment of a Statutory Fund to meet the needs of survivors going forward.
I wish to advise you that, in the period following the publication of the Ryan Report, a motion was passed in the Dail on the 28th May 2009 calling on the congregations to commit to making further substantial contributions by way of reparation, in the context of discussions with the State, including to a Fund to be set up and managed by the State for the support of victims and to other education and welfare purposes. In addition to the original €128m contribution under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, the Congregations are now offering significant additional contributions, which they have valued at €348.51m.
The Government announced its proposal to utilise the cash element of the Congregations’ current offers of contributions, which will amount to some €110m over the next few years, to establish a Statutory Fund, in keeping with the all party Motion passed by Dáil Éireann, supporting the proposal for a Trust for the support of victims and to other education and welfare purposes. Following consultation with the Congregations and the former residents as to the exact nature of the fund, how it will operate and the uses to which it will be put, the arrangements for the Statutory Fund will be considered by the Government. This Fund, which will be to support the needs of survivors, is separate and distinct from the compensation scheme operated by the independent Residential Institutions Redress Board, which provides fair and reasonable awards to victims of institutional childhood abuse. In a statement issue on 15th April last, the Government indicated that it was satisfied that the arrangements put in place have benefited survivors and it does not propose to revise the arrangements.
In terms of seeking the views of all former residents, particularly those not affiliated to any group, I can tell you that, owing to the confidential nature of the information supplied to the Residential Institutions Redress Board, the Government does not have access to the names or contact details of individuals who may have applied to the Board. However, the Government considers it appropriate to attempt to seek the views of all those wishing to contribute to this process and is currently considering how to put in place an appropriate mechanism by which the views of individuals can be conveyed.
I hope this information is of assistance to you.
Kind regards
Yours sincerely
Mary Coughlan TD
Tánaiste & Minister for Education & Skills
MINISTER COUGHLAN’S RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FOR A POLL ON TRUST FUND
Leave a comment ?
does anyone know what thay mean exactly by education, because if thay mean drawing lessonsor poetry reading well all i can say is that i have never felt the need for either of these subjects , but as the bard said for who could bear the whips and scorn of time , the oppressers wrong ,the proud mans contumly the pangs of dispised love ,the laws delay , and the insolence of office . this was written in the early years of the 17 century . but it fits nowadays in ireland
,
I think it is a great idea for all of us to march in london why not they did it in ireland . for all survivors in london it is our chance to have our voices heard stand up and be counted after all we are fighting the same cause , i couldnt be there in ireland but now is my chance , take care all veronica
Thanks. Anne.
Put my name down for that demonstration.
Paul.
Yes I think a march in London is a great idea as their are so many of us in London it should be a great turnout.
Its all in the state of mind> If you think you are beaten >You Are, If you think you dare not >You Wont, If you like to win but you think YOU CAN’T , it’s almost sure you wont, If you think you loose , You’ve Lost. for out in this world you find success begins with A persons Will. Its all in the state of mind. We can make it happen together. The powers that be DEVIDED survivors up in order that they were sure to win >The Government are totally responsable for what happened to all of us as Babies and young children ,It was the State who dragged us into the Criminal Court’s to sentence and detain us in child prisons, and distroyed our childhoods TOTALLY. Mary Coughlan could never understand our continued suffering she is far to young and hasen’t a clue how badly we suffered I am sure the idea of a trust Fund was not her idea alone and should be scrapped NOW.All those so called group leaders and so called services for survivors ??????are falling over each other having been to yet another SECRET meeting to make sure the trust fund is right only for themselves for their funding and wages and a permanent job for themselves and their families, What a Farce, So bloody dishonist.
I have looked at facebook regarding demonstrations during the Popes visit, these people have their own agenda for other reasons other than ours, I would like a protest for the survivors cause only and attended by survivors and their supporters.
It is time that we all started to act and speak with one voice; I have written a letter to Brian Cowen and had no reply – am I surprised? – NO!
The Statutory Trust Fund becomes Law in September and we have little time
There are a number of “Activists” at the moment making a nuisance of themselves to the government.
We are all going of in small uncoordinated bangs and getting information to those who are willing and interested to do something are I am sure as I am feeling isolated and frustrated.
I have looked at facebook as a means and that seems ineffectual as the groups on there are somewhat inert.
I have today set up Shame Of Ireland at yahoogroups.com
I will be inviting everyone that is in my Contacts list that I can find that I feel can contribute.
I hope you will do the same?
If we all work together we can make a difference.
You can vote there on the Fund.
Regards Rob
ShameOfIreland@yahoogroups.com
Sorry if my first message was somewhat disjointed but we have all typed badly when a bit worked up; my mind was thinking about the unanswered letter to Brian Cowen asking him to sue the Pope.
Theb Yahoo Group has a draft Aim and Objectives and a membership of one – ME!
I have an idea but I need another 3,999 members to make them take notice.
It will take 10 minutes of your time!
Once we have a core membership of 100 we can vote on the aims and objectives and start to get noticed.
Vote on the Trust Fund there
Rob tried to send an e-mail to ShameofIreland it was unsuccessful.
Dear Catherine and anyone else getting the same problem; I clicked on the link to ShameOfIreland at Yahoogroups on this page and it opened in outlook express have just tested it again the message is there.
Enter your vote today! A new poll has been created for the
ShameOfIreland group:
The Statutory Trust Fund should be dissolved and the Money Paid to the Victims
o YES
o NO
my email is rob.northall@ntlworld.com email me and I will send you the link to the poll
The Spam guard on this site doesn’t like the weblink I pasted
Hope this helps
Thank you Rob will try later.Catherine
I have recorded my vote against the trust fund.
If we all register a vote it may make a difference,
Lord knows we need to be heard. PLEASE VOTE.
Paul Nolan.
I would also like to add if this fund goes ahead it will be a free get out of jail card for the Churches. They will hold on to property and monies promised to victims of abuse. It will take years to get these funds from them and i suspect the Irish goverment will be slow to chase them for these funds.
PLEASE VOTE (EVERYONE COUNTS)
Paul Nolan.
Correct me if I am wrong but the Statutory Trust Fund will become Law in September 2010; after reading the Bill in the Irish Parliament?
Also I was under the impression that he money and assets from C.O.R.I. was for compensation to the Victims not to reimburse the Government?
Web links would be useful to rob.northall@ntlworld.com
I have registered my vote against the trust fund.
Hi. Paddy.
I have set up a Email address irishsurvivors@hotmail.com i would like to find out how many survivors and supporters would be willing to attend a demonstration in London later this year during the Popes visit against the trust fund.
I will post results on your site if that is ok. Lets see what happens.
Paul Nolan.
Mary Coughlan ,Convent educated ,Straight into Uni, Straight into Politics, I say to her She Mary Coughlan is the very reason those Of her ILK is the reason Irish People are scattered all over the world. She is not well liked from what I have read of her in Newspapers ,>Type in her name .If she goes ahead with keeping our compansation after holding secret meetings It will Come back on her in a big way .She is going against our human rights. She is a cold hard woman just like our abusers .
NEW PETITION
We the undersigned Petition to get the Statutory Trust Fund dissolved and the Money Paid to the Victims.
As you are aware the Trust Fund is to become Law and many Survivors do not wish this to happen!
The Irish Government is going ahead regardless; there is also a “rumour” that the Trust Fund will replace the Education Fund making it a “Zero” advance in the Support of “Victims of the Industrial Schools
This Heinous Trust Becomes Law in September!
WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!
To nominate and vote for Representatives for Survivors
Join
ShameOfIreland
Yahoo ID required; (very easy to set up!)
If you are sick and tired of the People who claim to represent you?
This is the link
To Vote on the Stautory Trust Fund
Members of ShameOfIreland need to vote again as this is a seperate count.
ShameOfIreland is the only place at present where you can give Paddy a ROLLING, EASILY REAFFIRMED MANDATE. If it is called into question by anyone.
I urge you all to join?
http://www.petitions.ie/Statutory
Don’t know why the link wasnt posted?
Two abuse survivor groups ask PAC to investigate Cork-based charity
By Jennifer Hough
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010
THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has received two separate requests to investigate a Cork-based charity for survivors of institutional abuse.
Tom Hayes of the Alliance survivor group and Patrick Walsh of SOCA [survivors of child abuse] recently wrote to the PAC raising concerns about Right of Place, an organisation which has received at least €2.4 million from the HSE since 2002, a further €1m from the Department of Education and funds from the National Lottery.
“We as a group have raised these concerns with the Department of Education and Skills and with the Residential Institutions Redress Unit in Athlone over many years,” Mr Hayes wrote to Bernard Allen, chairman of the committee.
“Indeed, the Alliance wrote to every councillor in Cork and asked that they please look again at the facilities in Lower Glanmire Road called Right of Place. We emailed the mayor also and asked that he withdraws the facilities at that address because of our concerns.”
Mr Walsh said SOCA and others had for “many years” been complaining about the “extraordinary conduct” of the group. Mr Walsh said nothing short of a full inquiry would suffice.
In a separate letter to HSE manager David Gaskin, who has sanctioned funding to Right of Place over the years, Mr Hayes asked why he was continuing to allow the “debacle” to continue.
“We have tried to raise the difficulties that we and other survivors were having because of your failures, we wrote to you and informed you of these, we visited Cork and held meetings with former residents to properly inform ourselves of the situation and then contacted you again, without any acknowledgement from you and others responsible for regulating or holding to account those responsible for the day to day running of Right of Place,” he wrote.
“You have done a great disservice to survivors. You have compounded this by your complete failure to act in a credible way with any integrity.”
The PAC said it had referred the matter to the HSE and the Department of Education for notes.
Meanwhile although Right of Place, founded by former Upton resident Noel Barry, claims to have 1,500 members, and has received funding on this basis, it is understood there may be far less than that.
Another former Upton resident living in Britain contacted the Irish Examiner saying he was a member of this group up to about a year ago.
“I notified Noel Barry that I wished my name to be removed from their databank. I never received a reply. Last week I received a letter from a Mr Michael Walsh, addressed to me as ‘Dear Member’, and which poses a few questions from me – just where did he get my address and details, and it would appear that his new group is simply taking over from where the old group left off. They will carry on receiving funding from the HSE, on the back of members they claim to represent, but it is so wrong, as they were never mandated to do this, and I certainly did not request them to represent me.”
This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, November 22, 2010
Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/two-abuse-survivor-groups-ask-pac-to-investigate-cork-based-charity-137175.html#ixzz15zaXhdUl
€34m for groups supporting institutional abuse survivors
By Conall Ó Fátharta
MONDAY, DECEMBER 06, 2010
AN estimated €34 million has been provided to groups supporting victims of institutional abuse between 2001 and 2009
The latest report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, on the Department of Education and Skills, found that a total of 11 survivor groups (six based in Ireland and five in Britain) have received funding in this period.
Between 2001 and 2009, the Department of Education provided €11.6m to “support groups in the provision of an information and referral service”.
A further €16.7m was provided by the HSE to provide a range of services including payment of rent, associated office costs and a contribution towards the provision of an outreach centre.
The Department of Health contributed €4.3m to provide “outreach services in Britain, funding towards counselling referrals and support services and office and accommodation costs.” The remainder of the funding came from the Department of Environment and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The report highlighted that the further funding of one group, in particular, was being examined.
“In the light of a recent HSE report, which found inadequacies in governance arrangements in one group, the department is consulting with the HSE in light of the findings and further funding of the organisation is dependent on a satisfactory outcome to this process,” said the report.
The report also made a recommendation that the effectiveness of certain aspects of the outreach and support provided to survivor groups should be examined.
“At a suitable juncture, it would be useful to examine the effectiveness of outreach and support provided to survivor groups,” the report concluded.
The likely cost of the redress scheme for victims of abuse in residential institutions in now put at €1.1 billion. The bulk of the contribution of religious congregations agreed with the state has been provided by way of cash or property.
While final title to 28 properties is still being established, the transferees are in possession of them and all but seven properties have been brought into use.
This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Monday, December 06, 2010
Read more: http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/34m-for-groups-supporting-institutional-abuse-survivors-138562.html#ixzz17JUti7PG