Archdiocese insurance 'very limited' for sex abuse claims

The Dublin archdiocese will have to draw on its own dwindling resources to deal with most claims for compensation arising out of clerical abuse identified in the forthcoming report of the commission of inquiry.

This is because it has no insurance for any claims relating to abuse which occurred prior to April 1996, and only "very limited" insurance against claims for abuse occurring after that time.

A spokeswoman for the archdiocese declined to comment when asked if it had sufficient funds to cover any claims which might arise on foot of the report when it is eventually published.

But seven dioceses in the US have already filed for bankruptcy protection while facing a barrage of claims for compensation for people alleging abuse by clergy. The Wilmington diocese, which covers the states of Delaware and Maryland, was the latest of these to do so just last week.

Some 450 people have made abuse allegations against former priests in the Dublin archdiocese since 1940, but this is considered a conservative figure. It has already paid out over €10m in settlements as a result of child abuse by Dublin priests or religious figures. This could rise significantly once the report is published and more victims come forward.

The archdiocese has also seen the value of its significant property interests, which may have helped to fund any settlement claims, collapse in recent years.

Its spokeswoman told the Sunday Tribune that, where abuse incidents occurred after 1 April 1996, "insurance cover exists provided the alleged perpetrator had not become the subject of a complaint previous to this date".

"In effect, the current policy is insurance against what we do not know. The cost of that premium is in the region of €53,000 per annum and the policy has limits of indemnity in respect of any one claim and in the aggregate.

"The Archdiocese does not have insurance cover in respect of claims arising from incidents of child sexual abuse shown to have occurred prior to 1 April 1996."
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