Minister to set up review of abuse survivors’ group Caranua

An independent review of Caranua, the State agency set up to help people who, as children, experienced abuse in residential institutions in Ireland, is to be set up by Minister for Education Richard Bruton.

Caranua was set up in 2012 with €110 million in funds from 18 religious congregations which managed the residential institutions. The fund was intended to address the health, housing, and education needs of survivors living in Ireland and abroad.

Currently only people who have received settlements, Redress Board, or court awards are elibigible to apply to Caranua for assistance.

Explaining that such a review was to take place, Caranua chief executive Mary Higgins said the agency had dealt with 5,000 applicants to date and made 30,000 payments to survivors at a cost of €60 million.

It has received €95 million from the congregations, who have promised it the remaining €15 million by the end of 2017.

Though intended to help survivors with education, health and housing needs, 70 per cent of Caranua’s spending to date has been for housing, Ms Higgins said, with “very little interest in education”.

This, she said, was due mainly to the age of applicants.

In a letter sent last July to Minister for Education Richard Bruton, on behalf of Cork-based survivors, barrister Eugenie Houston referred to "difficulties"that had arisen between them and Caranua.

“They believe that their dignity has been affronted by Caranua and that emotional distress has been inflicted upon them by the manner in which the fund is being applied to them,” she said.

They called for it “to be dissolved as a matter of urgency and to see its functions taken over by a department within the civil service.”

While praising Ms Higgins as “a very dedicated and highly experienced advocate” who was “doing all she can within the parameters set” they suggested the cause of the disquiet appeared to be “the parameters”.

Such was the urgency of the situation survivors were considering a petition to the European Parliament, Ms Houston said.

In a reply on behalf of Mr Bruton it was pointed out that there was a complaints mechanism in place for those dissatisfied with Caranua and that it a review of its operation was planned.

Ms Higgins said the agency was “doing its best to be sympathetic and supportive” in assisting survivors and that “the overwhelming majority of people we deal with are satisfied.”