A number of the 18 congregations criticised in the Ryan Report have
described Friday's meeting with the Minister for Education as positive.
The Sisters of Mercy boycotted the meeting because Ruairi Quinn was not prepared to meet them on their own.
Minister Quinn has said offers by the religious orders to pay a
greater share of the reparations to abused former residents fall several
hundred million euro short of matching the taxpayers' contribution.
Earlier this month, Mr Quinn wrote to the 18 religious congregations
concerned following up on the last government's call for them to meet
half of the €1.3bn bill for victims of residential institutional child
abuse.
He invited them to the meeting to discuss how they might bridge the estimated €350m shortfall in what they are offering.
He said he would be asking them to offset some of the taxpayers' contribution by transferring schools to the State.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he hoped the orders would discuss 'how the
gap in the funding agreement which was signed on for by the
congregations can be concluded in the interests of the victims.'