The Commission was established on 23 May, 2000, pursuant to the \u201cCommission to Inquire into Child Abuse Act 2000\u201d and given three primary functions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Commission had no role in relation to financial compensation. That function rested with the \u201cResidential Institutions Redress Board\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Commission heard evidence through two separate committees \u2013 the Investigation Committee and the Confidential Committee. The Chairperson of the Commission, Mr. Justice Ryan, was a judge of the High Court and also chairperson of the Investigation Committee. The ordinary members of the Commission, who sat on either (but not both) committee, were drawn from various disciplines. The Commission also had a number of administrative and legal staff, paid for by the Department of Education & Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cCommission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Amendment) Act 2005\u201d gave effect to the recommendations of the report of the Government of the \u201cReview Group on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse\u201d and the report and subsequent recommendations of Mr. Justice Ryan, on the workings of the Commission. The new provisions allowed for extension of the Commission\u2019s functions, by including a duty on the Commission to inquire into the manner in which children were placed in institutions and the circumstances in which they continued to be resident there. The Act also removed the obligation on the Investigation Committee to hear all complainants and gave it a discretion as to which witnesses it considered should be called to a full hearing, to ensure that the inquiry\u2019s functions are fulfilled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Commission had a mandate in relation to four types of abuse:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This included a school, an industrial school, a reformatory school, an orphanage, a hospital, a children\u2019s home and any other place where children were cared for other than as members of their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A \u201cchild\u201d was deemed to be a person who had not attained the age of 18 years at the relevant time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A witness (complainant) could choose to give evidence to the Investigation Committee or the Confidential Committee, but not both. In relation to the Investigation Committee, evidence was given at either (or both, in some cases) full hearing of the Committee, or interview with members of its legal team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to being offered a hearing by the Commission and its Committees, counselling by a dedicated counselling service was set up by the Department of Health and Children and was provided through the Health Boards was available for victims of abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Commission and its Committees benefited from the kind of powers and protection which a court would have including privilege for witnesses; compellability of witnesses; discovery of documents; taking evidence on oath and offences for failure to co-operate or for obstruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n