GOVERNMENT policy on the child abuse indemnity deal with religious orders was in disarray last night after the Taoiseach and four of his ministers gave differing accounts of how it is to be handled.Renewed calls have been made to renegotiate the 2002 deal, which capped the contribution of 18 Catholic orders towards victims’ compensation at €128 million – a fraction of the estimated €1 billion cost that the taxpayer must bear.
But the Government’s reactions left victims’ groups baffled and dismayed after a series of public statements by four cabinet members and one junior minister revealed they had no unified stance or strategy on the issue
The contradictory pronouncements began at 9am when Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin was asked on RTÉ about the possibility of reviewing the deal to increase the religious orders’ input and replied: "I think we can look at that again."
At mid-morning, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan said no decision had been made. "The Government has not had time to evaluate the entirety of the report [of the Child Abuse Commission]," she said.
By lunchtime, however, Children’s Minister Barry Andrews poured cold water on suggestions that the deal could be reworked, telling RTÉ: "It’s difficult to see how it could be revisited legally speaking."
By mid-afternoon, Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe’s department, which administers the deal, issued a statement ruling out any change.
"The department does not intend to revisit or renegotiate the terms of the existing indemnity agreement or enter into any new agreement which would see the state seek further contributions."
But shortly afterwards, Taoiseach Brian Cowen seemed to offer a chance of a new deal, saying while out canvassing: "In relation to the question of the indemnity agreement, it may not be possible to reopen that, but obviously we will take legal advice on that matter."
Confusion across the coalition also emerged when Green senator Déirdre de Búrca said the religious orders should pay more. She urged the Church to volunteer more funds but the Conference of Religious of Ireland, which negotiated the deal, said: "As far as we are aware, none of the congregations concerned plan to revisit the terms of the agreement which was made in good faith."
Fine Gael said the deal should be renegotiated "if legally possible" but Labour insisted it had to be reopened.
To date, the orders have contributed €52m in cash and €10m worth of counselling services, but €66m was to be made up of property transfers and full legal title has only transferred in 20 of the 63 properties identified.
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