THE CHRISTIAN Brothers have offered the biggest contribution to date
to meeting the compensation bill for clerical child sex abuse claims,
according to figures released by the Department of Education.
Amounting
to € 161 million, the Christian Brothers’ offer comprises cash of €30
million and counselling services of € 4 million and also includes 49
school playing fields and associated lands which the Catholic Church
values at €127 million.
The church has proposed the lands would be
transferred to a joint trust between the Edmund Rice Schools Trust and
the Government.
The next highest amount of the 18 religious
congregations comes from the Sisters of Mercy.
Amounting to € 127.5
million, the sum includes cash of € 20 million and school properties in
Tipperary, Waterford, Clare, Galway, Cork, Mayo, Longford and Meath,
some of which would be transferred to Vocational Education Committees
and others to the State.
The offer also includes four health sector
properties and 31 other properties which would be donated either to the
statutory fund, the HSE or the voluntary sector.
Minister for
Education Ruairí Quinn said he was disappointed at the offers, saying
the 18 congregations were several hundred million off the €680 million
mark the Government believes should be paid.