528. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to consolidate the application process for supports for survivors of residential institutional abuse such that an applicant would have to deal with just one form, rather than three as is currently required; her plans to include a printout of the eligibility criteria as part of the issuing of those forms; and her views on the disproportionate barrier to access, placed on applicants with literacy challenges or disabilities by the current system of referring applicants to a website to view the relevant eligibility criteria. [45963/26]

529. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Education and Youth her plans to review the application process for supports for survivors of residential institutional abuse; and the way in which such a review will gather the direct input of persons who have experience of using the system as an applicant. [45964/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 528 and 529 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, details of the supports available to survivors, including application processes, were published on my Department’s website in March of this year. This information was also shared with survivor and advocacy groups, the Special Advocate for Survivors and directly with survivors who had indicated to the Department their interest in receiving information on the supports.

As the Deputy has outlined, three separate application forms were made available, to confirm applicants’ eligibility, to apply for health supports and to apply for education supports respectively. This was considered the most appropriate approach to progressing each application.

In light of feedback received from survivor groups and individual applicants, as well as the Department’s experience in processing applications (for example, where information is requested in an application form but frequently omitted), my Department is currently revising the forms to ensure that the application process is made as straightforward as possible and places a minimal burden on applicants.

It is intended to combine the eligibility and health support applications into a single form, as the health supports are applied for only once by each applicant. The education support payment applicant form will remain a separate form, as applicants may make a number of such applications over time.

In each case, the forms will also include some further explanatory material relating to eligibility, the nature of the supports, and the information required by the Department to progress applications.

I am also conscious that some applicants may require particular assistance to progress their applications, particularly applicants with literacy challenges. My Department has engaged Sage Advocacy to provide advocacy supports to survivors, and can refer applicants to Sage for assistance in completing their applications. Applicants can also contact my Department by phone, email or post in relation to any queries they might have.