EDUCATION Minister Batt O’Keeffe has refused to put a figure on the level of extra contributions religious orders should make for their part in the abuse of children in their schools. Following Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s call this week on the 18 orders in whose institutions the abuses took place to make additional payments above the €128 million agreed as an indemnity against legal claims in 2002, most of them have already agreed to begin efforts to do so.
However, it is unclear yet what timescale the Government envisages for any money or assets to be handed over, or what level of extra payment should be made.
Mr O’Keeffe’s department negotiated the 2002 agreement with the orders which has again been criticised in the wake of last week’s publication of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse report.
Asked what kind of figure would be required for the religious groups to meet their obligations arising from the extent of the abuse unveiled by the report, or if perhaps the amount already committed should be doubled, he said it is "premature to talk in those terms".
"We’ve invited in the congregations, and they’ve agreed to come before us. That meeting will take place shortly...
"Everybody across the parties is agreed with what the Government has decided to do, to indicate quite clearly to the congregations that they have a social and a moral imperative to make substantially more restitution to the victims, to the state and, of course, to the future of children in the country," he said.
Of the 18 orders concerned, at least half of them have agreed to talks on additional money being paid.
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