527. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education and Youth if persons who interacted with Caranua are required to re-supply all details of their experience of institutional abuse while accessing supports for survivors of residential institutional abuse; if a GDPR-compliant means of data sharing and retention can be used in the management of supports for survivors of residential institutional abuse to avoid the need for survivors to repeatedly provide the same personal information, such as their names, proof of address, and other details that would have already been submitted to her Department and Caranua in the past. [45962/26]

As the Deputy will be aware, the supports concerned are being delivered in accordance with the Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Act 2025. Eligible survivors can apply to the Department to receive health and education supports, and details of how to apply for these supports were published in March of this year.

At the outset, it is important to make clear that applicants are not, at any time, required to provide details of their experience of institutional abuse. My Department only requests from each applicant the minimum amount of information required to confirm the eligibility of each applicant and to enable the provision of the supports concerned.

The supports are available to survivors who either received redress from the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB) or, in a small minority of cases, received a similar court award or settlement. It is necessary to receive directly from applicants a certain amount of information to confirm their identity and that they meet either of these eligibility criteria.

This is done through the use of their name, address and date of birth. Applicants are also requested to provide contact details such as a phone number and email address to facilitate further engagement relating to their applications. It would not be possible to progress their applications without receiving this information directly from applicants.

Applicants resident in Ireland are also requested to provide their PPSN to enable the provision to them of medical cards by the HSE and to facilitate the making of education support payments. Applicants outside Ireland are requested to provide the equivalent of the PSSN, for example a National Insurance or Social Security number, to facilitate the making of payments. It is important that these details are gathered directly from applicants to ensure that they are up to date.

Finally, in order to make payments to applicants, it is necessary for them to provide relevant bank details and confirming documentation. Again, it is necessary to gather this information directly from applicants to ensure that the details are up to date and that the payments are received by the applicants.