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

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

Don’t know why the link wasnt posted?

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?

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?

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