Fund to help abused ‘rebuild’ lives

MORE than 500 former residents of institutions where children were abused have received educational grants to help them rebuild their lives.

But tens of thousands more are eligible for a share of the funding, made available from the €127 million contribution of the religious orders towards the cost of compensating abuse victims through the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB). It is open for applications from former residents — whether they were abused or not — their children, spouses, grandchildren or stepchildren.

Each former resident is entitled to up to €12,500 to help cover education costs and the same is payable to their family, with up to €4,000 for each relative from a €12.7 million fund.

The aim is to ensure former residents have opportunities that might not have been available in the past to access appropriate educational and personal development opportunities.

The money can be used for extra classes or after-school activities for children, college courses, personal development, literacy classes or driving lessons.

The Education Finance Board has so far approved 518 grants, totalling more than €750,000 or almost €1,500 for each recipient. Of those, 126 were former residents, 345 were children of residents, 39 were spouses and eight other relatives also made successful claims.

* More details are available at www.educationfinanceboard.com. The board can be contacted on Lo Call 1890 742 742 or from overseas at 00 353 1 8745708. Staff will call back callers from outside Ireland.