Judge Kieran O'Connor has resigned as chairman of the Residential Institutions Redress Board set up by the Oireachtas for victims of childhood abuse in Irish institutions.
In a statement late last night, the Minister for Education and Science, Mr Dempsey, announced that he accepted the resignation "with regret" .
Judge O'Connor said he was resigning for personal reasons.
The Minister said last night: "I greatly appreciate Judge O'Connor's role in leading the board from its inception to where it now has a framework in place to deal with applications for financial awards".
At the Minister's request, Judge O'Connor will remain available to offer any assistance to the incoming chairperson over the next few months.
Judge O'Connor said he had devoted an enormous amount of time to the board over the past eight months but was unable to continue that level of commitment on an ongoing basis.
The Government redress scheme is being administered by the redress board. It will be funded by religious orders which ran the various industrial schools, orphanages and other institutions which cared for an estimated 30,000 children over several decades.
At least 800 people have indicated they will apply for compensation for institutional abuse under the new scheme.
Payments made by the scheme to victims or surviving relatives may cost up to €400 million.
It is believed it will serve for about four years to address all claims. There will be no statute of limitations where claimants are concerned.
The Laffoy Commission into child abuse is sitting separately to listen to victims of childhood abuse and to investigate fully all allegations of abuse.