SENIOR Catholic clerics are to consider increasing compensation for survivors of abuse in church-run institutions.Cardinal Sean Brady revealed yesterday that a committee would be set up to look at offering further redress to victims who suffered at the hands of nuns and priests in industrial schools and orphanages.
The head of the Church in Ireland spoke out after four campaigners addressed the Bishops' Conference in Maynooth over the Ryan report, which revealed widespread physical and sexual abuse.
They also appealed to the Church to make a financial contribution to a redress scheme for victims -- currently being funded by the religious congregations criticised in the report.
Victims have already sought €600m from the orders named in the report.
Dublin Archbishop Diarmaid Martin said it was "the most significant meeting I have ever attended".
Archbishop Martin also signalled his hope that the report of the commission inquiring into clerical child abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese would be published soon.
Asked to confirm that the High Court would give its judgment on December 8 as to whether the commission's report could be published in full or partly edited, Archbishop Martin said he had received no indication that was the date.
He said the law provided that the High Court be asked to give its advice and they were waiting for that advice.
"My personal preference would be for the report to come out quickly and in its integrity, because reading it in its integrity, the question (ie contents) emerges better," he added.
Sample
Last July, the Government received the commission's report from Justice Yvonne Murphy, providing a sample of how four archbishops handled complaints of sexually abusing children by 46 priests in Dublin between January 1, 1975, and April 30, 2004.
Three of the cases concern priests or ex-clerics facing criminal trials on further child-abuse charges, the first of which will not be heard until April 2010.
Cardinal Brady said the meeting with survivors was a first step. "There will be other steps," he said. "I think something very important has taken place."
Asked if he regretted not having the meeting sooner, Cardinal Brady replied: "Yes I do of course, but I thank God that it has happened."
The private meeting with the whole Bishops' Conference was described as a gigantic step forward by Michael O'Brien of the Right to Peace group.
Mr O'Brien said that the delegation requested the bishops to set up a sub-committee to begin a dialogue with the groups.
He also requested the setting up of a benevolent fund to help people who had already received redress in areas such as education and counselling.
"I am extremely happy," he said after the meeting. "It's a sad but joyous step we've taken here today."
The bishops were asked to make representations to the Taoiseach to speed up procedures with the religious congregations towards the setting up of a new trust, said Mr O'Brien.
John Kelly, Survivors of Child Abuse, said they had given a full account of their experiences to the bishops and asked the Catholic Church as a whole to be more responsive to survivors.
Tom Hayes of Alliance described the meeting as "an historic day for all of us survivors and bishops together".
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