MINISTER FOR Education Ruairí Quinn is to make an announcement within
days responding to proposals from 18 religious congregations named in
the Ryan report concerning their handing over of properties,including
educational facilities.
The Department of Education confirmed last
April that it was to ask the congregations to hand over title to
properties worth up to € 200 million.
Since publication in May
2009 of the Ryan report, which contains the findings of an investigation
into clerical sex abuse of children in religious-run residential
institutions, the 18 congregations have agreed to pay €476 million
towards the €1.36 billion compensation costs.
As this was € 200
million short of the equal share of the bill to be paid by the State, as
recommended in the Ryan report, proposals for the remaining payment
were sought from the congregations.
Last April the Department of
Education confirmed that it was to ask the congregations to hand over
title to property worth up to €200 million.
This week’s planned announcement by Mr Quinn follows Cabinet discussions surrounding the Ryan report in recent weeks.
The Department of Education confirmed last April that Mr Quinn was seeking ownership of schools for the State.
He
indicated he did not want to bankrupt the religious orders and was not
intending to change the structure by which the religious orders were in
charge of the schools.
His concern was said to be about the amount of the total compensation bill which would have to be paid by the taxpayer.
The
Government is drafting legislation for the establishment of a statutory
trust fund intended to fund support services for those who experienced
institutional abuse.
A meeting of the Irish Women Survivors’
Support Network in London heard that letters were issued to survivor
advocacy groups in Britain on Friday informing them that they will
receive funding until the end of the year, by which time it is hoped
that the trust fund will be established to provide subsequent funding.
Last
month several UN Committee Against Torture members questioned the
Government on its failure to implement all the recommendations of the
Ryan report, which detailed abuse in residential institutions run by
religious congregations.
A written submission to the committee
revealed that, two years after the report’s publication, no one has been
prosecuted for child abuse in residential institutions detailed in the
2009 report.