Under investigation by the inquiry are residential homes run by the North’s local authorities, juvenile justice institutions, secular residential centres in the voluntary sector, and other voluntary homes run by the Catholic Church.
The scale of its work is vast, with more than 300 witnesses expected to appear in public.
Most of these witnesses will give their testimony in person before the tribunal, while a few will appear via a video-link and the remainder will give their evidence in a written statement.
A total of 435 individuals have applied to speak to the inquiry, 20 of whom are from the Republic. More than 60 of those applications are from those now resident in Australia. This is as a result of a policy of sending children from institutions in Northern Ireland to Australia under British government child migration policy.
And this, in the Guardian -- Extend child abuse inquiry to England and Wales say campaigners:
Stop Church Child Abuse welcomed the opening on Monday of the investigation into 13 orphanages and children's homes but said it was now time for the government to roll the inquiry out across Britain.
Jonathan Wheeler, a lawyer who deals with child abuse cases in Britain and a founding member of Stop Church Child Abuse said: "The start of this inquiry will be a relief to the alleged victims, allowing them to take heart in the fact that a process intended to bring them justice is at last under way. Lessons must also be learned by the authorities and all those responsible for the care of young children to prevent this kind of abuse from ever happening again.
"We have been calling for a similar overarching inquiry in England and Wales. The government has refused but if Northern Ireland can tackle the issue, then why should survivors here be denied their say and the proper scrutiny of all they have suffered?"
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