Monday, December 20, 2010

Catholic institutions owe State over €300m

Catholic institutions still owe the State hundreds of millions of euro in contributions that were promised after the church abuse scandals, according to new figures obtained by the Labour party.

The figures show that out of €348m pledged last year in cash and property after the Ryan report, just 6% has been handed over. 

No property has been transferred.

More than €26m is still outstanding from the original Indemnity Deal.

Under that deal, negotiated in 2002, the religious congregations pledged to hand over €128m in cash and property.

At the time the Government said this would cover half of the cost of compensating victims.

However, since that Indemnity Deal, the State has paid out more than €1bn in legal fees and compensation payments to victims.

The data was given to Labour's Ruairi Quinn in response to a Parliamentary Question.

Mr Quinn said he believed the public would be disappointed and angered at the slow pace of the payments.

He said he hoped it did not represent an attempt by the congregations to renege on the agreement.
 
He called on the Government to insist the pace of payments and property transfers was accelerated.

SIC: RTÉ/IE