Please sign Irish petition for UN Committee Against Torture

Aislinn Education and Support Centre for Survivors of Institutional Abuse

to re-open at Jervis in August under new charity name

http://www.aislinneducation.com/about-us/

new website under construction

in the meantime - please check-out fundraiser Sat 8th July Thank you
http://www.activelink.ie/content/community-exchange/fundraisers/30972

https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-bath-charity-cycle-tickets-34539043208

Extra officer to process Caranua complaints
Ellen Coyne, Senior Ireland News Reporter
June 23 2017
The Times
Mary Higgins said that survivors’ bad experiences had been overstated

The government has hired an extra appeals officer to help deal with a backlog of complaints against Caranua.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/1d4e2e68-579a-11e7-b34e-8647bf2bc7f8

Caranua spent funds in bars and restaurants
The Times
Thomas Byrne, the Fianna Fáil education spokesman, said that the agency credit card bills were outrageous
A state agency has been branded “disgusting” and “scandalous” for using abuse survivors’ money on €950 bar bills and high-end meals.
Caranua, which was set up to make payments from a fund for survivors of residential institutions, has refused to respond to questions from The Times about its credit card bills. Staff spent €7,000 on accessories for an office it was about to leave and used the redress fund for €700 meals for its chief executive and board members.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2c7d474a-5473-11e7-869c-518339a19c7c

Great that Newstalk got an interview with Mary Higgins
As @thetimesIE asked for one Monday ...were told she was not available at all this week.
Pat Kenny Newstalk‏ @PatKennyNT 20 June 2017
PK spoke with @ellenmcoyne about the controversy around Caranua spending. PK also speaks with Caranua CEO Mary Higgins on Newstalk
#pknt
"There's nothing untoward in this in terms of the things that are being spent," says Caranua CEO Mary Higgins #pknt
Chief exec of Caranua says the frustration on the part of survivors has been overstated by the media:
"Most people who come to us are quite happy with the service they get," says Mary Higgins, Caranua CEO #pknt

Chief exec of Caranua says office was not a pleasant place, needed work. Survivors have expressed frustration at not being able to visit it.

People who were half way through their applications were told suddenly the limit was being imposed.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/2c7d474a-5473-11e7-869c-518339a19c7c

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fund-abandoned-thousands-of-victims-mnlswpjjv?shareToken=5bae4bf9d880f2864b7a56f905ec8993

Almost 100 contracts that it entered into were retrospectively approved by the government, with about 86 approved on one day...See please up-to-date articles by Ellen Coyne (as per Times links as below)
source: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/caranua-spent-abuse-survivors-cash-without-permission-2z789dffc

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/agency-had-only-one-job-but-it-failed-8g8xttv08?shareToken=6eeff4a64ac503141208c692aa8f2d8a

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-stress-caused-is-unreal-sometimes-itfeels-like-theyre-waiting-for-us-to-die-jk06m8r0h?shareToken=25aad2fa2b8d5fa9895aba8208347341