Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry
The Northern Ireland Executive established the Inquiry into Historical Institutional Abuse, which investigated abuse of children under 18 who were living in an institution in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995.
Supports and services
The Victims and Survivors Service (VSS); and two community partners, WAVE Trauma Centre and Advice NI will ensure that services and support are available for victims and survivors. This includes psychological therapies, personal and professional development, complementary therapies, health and wellbeing caseworker support, welfare support, outreach and befriending, disability aids, information retrieval and management of persistent pain.
You can contact VSS via details below:
Email: hiaenquiries@vssni.org
Telephone: 028 9031 1678
Further information
Any victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse who would like more information on the apology can contact the HIA Implementation Branch in The Executive Office on:
Email: HIAImplementationBranch@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk
Appointment of the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse (COSICA)
Fiona Ryan was appointed Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse (COSICA) by the First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and took up post on 14 December 2020 for a 5 year term.
You can read The Executive Office press release about the appointment via the link below:
You can contact COSICA by post, email or telephone.
Postal address:
5th Floor South
Queens Court
56-66 Queens Street
Belfast
BT1 6FD
Email address: Info@cosica-ni.org
Telephone: 028 9054 4985
Website: www.cosica-ni.org/
The Partnership Agreement between The Executive Office and the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse (COSICA)
COSICA is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) established on 5 November 2019 by the Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019 (the Act). The first commissioner was appointed in October 2020 and took up post in December 2020. Its purpose is to promote the interests of any person who suffered abuse while a child and while resident in an institution at some time between 1922 and 1995 (both inclusive).
Support Measures For Survivors Of Historical Institutional Abuse
On 1 December 2020, the Executive Office launched a dedicated support service for survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse, delivered by the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS).
VSS are working in partnership with the WAVE Trauma Centre and Advice NI to deliver a range of support and services regionally. They will also ensure that survivors who are now living elsewhere have access to the support and services that they need.
This will include dedicated health and wellbeing caseworker support, counselling, complementary therapies, disability aids, persistent pain and a range of other social and welfare support.
This service can be accessed from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, by phoning 028 9031 1678 or email: hiaenquiries@vssni.org. Further information can be found at: www.victimsservice.org/historical-institutional-abuse-hia
Data Breach Investigation - Office of the HIA Interim Advocate
Access the NICS Group Internal Audit and Fraud Investigation Service Report into the data breach at the Historical Institutional Abuse Interim Advocate's Office via the link below:
Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019
The Historical Institutional Abuse (NI) Act 2019 became an Act of Parliament on 5 November 2019.
The Bill was welcomed by the Head of the NI Civil Service in a statement.
HIA Redress Board and compensation scheme
Important information - The Executive Office (TEO) wish to notify that applications for compensation to the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board, closed on 2 April 2025.
At the closure date the HIA Redress Board had received 5,496 applications; it will continue to operate until such time as all outstanding applications have been determined upon.
Contact us
If you have any queries you can contact the HIA Implementation Branch via the following link: HIA Implementation Branch
You can also call the office of the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse on 028 9089 3977.
A memorial to victims and survivors
A memorial to victims and survivors is the final recommendation of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry Report to be implemented. The report recommended:
“We are of the opinion that a memorial should be erected to remind legislators and others of what many children experienced in residential homes. We recommend that a suitable physical memorial should be erected in Parliament Buildings, or in the grounds of the Stormont Estate.”
The Executive Office have been working on a phased approach to a memorial, which will seek to accommodate the range of views put forward by victims and survivors and those who represent them.
This will take the form of a memorial plaque in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings. Its wording is intended to acknowledge the apology offered in the Assembly Chamber on 11 March 2022, and to serve as a permanent reminder of the experiences endured by many children in residential institutions.
We recognise how important this memorial plaque is, which is why extensive engagement has taken place in recent months to ensure a wide range of views were heard.
While the memorial plaque is intended to fulfil the final recommendation of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry Report, some survivors have expressed interest in local memorials or a broader commemorative programme. We are exploring this with local councils and will work with the Arts Council to ensure survivors’ voices shape any future localised memorials.
If any victim and survivor has a view or would like to find out more about the proposals, we would encourage them to make contact with us by email: HIAImplementationBranch@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk or telephone: 028 90 522 363 (phone operating hours are 9am-4pm Monday-Friday).
The Partnership Agreement between The Executive Office and the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board (HIARB)
The HIARB is defined as a Body Corporate under Schedule 1 (1) of the Historical Institutional Abuse (NI) Act 2019. The HIARB operates independently from the Department of Justice and The Executive Office (TEO). TEO is responsible for sponsorship of the HIARB as an arm’s-length body of TEO and for the sponsorship arrangements and financial accountability as set out in the Partnership Agreement.
Privacy Notice
The link below outlines how the HIA Branch handles personal information:
Contact us
If you have any queries you can contact the HIA Implementation Branch via the following link: HIA Implementation Branch