A former resident of two industrial schools has mounted a one-man protest outside the Dáil over his treatment at the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB).
Mr Tom Sweeney said he took the decision after an initial settlement offer of 113,000 was reduced by 40,000 to 73,000 for abuse he suffered at both homes.
He has rejected this offer, saying he feels further abused by the redress board process. He is also on hunger strike, and intends to continue with his protest indefinitely.
"I don't think I got a fair hearing at the redress board," he said. "I wanted to tell my story at a full hearing, and I feel I was punished for doing that."
Under the redress board system, an initial settlement offer is made to the applicant. The level of the award is based on the number of points awarded by the board to the applicant.
The points depend on the level and severity of abuse, verified medical illness, psycho-social impact and loss of opportunity. If an applicant is dissatisfied with the initial offer, they can opt for a full hearing.
Mr Sweeney was at the two schools in the late 1950s and early 1960s, having been sent there for truancy. He has alleged serious physical abuse at two of the institutions and serious sexual abuse at one.
Following his application to the board, Mr Sweeney was awarded 40 points in the initial settlement, which translated into an offer of just over €113,000. Mr Sweeney decided to opt for a full hearing however, because he wanted to tell his story. The hearing lasted three hours, during which he broke down. Following the hearing, Mr Sweeney was made a new offer, which turned out to be significantly less, at just under 67,000. An appeal of this award saw it increase by a further 6,000.
Mr Sweeney has the option of taking a High Court action but says he does not intend to. He began an action in the mid-1990s but suspended it at the suggestion of his then legal team in favour of the redress scheme.
"I delayed that action because I thought I was going to get a fair hearing and a fair settlement. I didn't. It's too late now for me."
The protest comes amid criticism of how the board is operating from victims' representative groups.
The board was established to provide compensation to former residents of children's institutions who suffered abuse or neglect at the homes.
Ms Christine Buckley, of the Aislinn Centre, said Mr Sweeney's was one of a number of cases she knew of where people felt traumatised about their treatment at the redress board and the level of award that was made to them. "I feel that what has happened to Tom, and what has happened to other victims raises very, very serious concerns. Clients have stated that they felt abused at the redress board, they felt they were not believed. They say they were subject to disparaging remarks."
Aislinn has requested meetings with the head of the redress board, Judge Seán O'Leary, and has also written to the Minister for Education, Mr Demspey, about the levels of awards. The Department declined to comment on the case. The redress board said it does not engage with the media in any form.