The God Squad

The Irish Times – Friday, November 20, 2009
PATSY McGARRY Religious Affairs Correspondent

THE COST of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse could be as much as 60 times the original Department of Education estimate, it was disclosed at a hearing of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday.

Department secretary general Brigid McManus agreed the original €2 – €2.5 million estimate was “somewhat wide of the mark”. She told committee members that as of April this year, €71 million in costs had been paid.

This was expected to rise to €126 – €136 million when all third-party and other costs were covered, based on information available, she said.

The work of the commission would not be completed before the end of 2010, as preparation of its report for the deaf and visually impaired was ongoing, as was that on third-party costs and the cataloguing of documents, she said.

Commending the work of the commission, Labour Party TD Roisín Shortall recalled that originally it was expected to have completed its work within two years, at costs ranging between €2 million and €2.5 million.

“It’s now likely to last 10 years at a cost of about €130 million. This is completely out of line. Why was it that the department got it so wrong on both counts?” she asked.

Ms McManus replied that a simpler process had been envisaged than was the case, with legal representation rising and individual hearings becoming like court cases, though not on the scale of a court.

Unforeseen judicial reviews had also been initiated. At the outset people “underestimated the scale of what was being embarked on,” she said.

Ms Shortall further pointed out that the original estimated cost of redress for former residents of institutions had been put by the department at €250 million.

“It is now at € 1 billion plus,” she said. Ms McManus said the scale and number of complainants who wished to give evidence (to the Redress Board) had been underestimated.

Ms Shortall said that, given the time and costs involved, it was “a matter of great disappointment” that no perpetrators were named.

Ms McManus pointed out that this followed court action by the Christian Brothers congregation following which “the commission decided not to name perpetrators to allow its work continue”.

She said a total of 10 administrative staff continued to work at the commission, with Justice Seán Ryan and commission members available as necessary. The latter were being paid per day at assistant secretary rates while Justice Ryan was paid as a judge.

Double-jobbing: two jobs, two pensions

A third-level lecturer held two jobs simultaneously at NUI Galway and Athlone Institute of Technology from 1999 until 2007, the Public Accounts Committee was told yesterday.

When it was discovered, the man was on paid sabbatical leave from NUIG. He had also been paying into separate pension plans at both third-level institutions, as had both employers, and he has retained both pensions – although he has resigned both posts.

PAC chairman Bernard Allen (FG) requested that the president of NUIG be called before the committee on the matter.

The Athlone president Ciarán Ó Catháin told the committee he had first been alerted when contacted by HR at NUIG on November 27th, 2007. By November 29th, he had confirmed the situation. The lecturer resigned on November 30th.

Seán Fleming (FF) was told the man had not been asked to pay back his second salary.

Meanwhile, Brigid McManus of the Department of Education said that of the properties religious congregations had agreed to transfer to State ownership under the 2002 indemnity deal, 31 had been fully transferred, with 32 more being transferred.