The Irish Times – Saturday, February 4, 2012
JOANNE HUNT
THE MINISTER for Education is to write to the 18 religious congregations, which ran residential institutions where children were abused, asking them to contribute more towards the €1.2 billion bill for compensating victims.
The letter from Ruairí Quinn follows questions put to Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil yesterday about the status of the payment of compensation by the congregations.
In 2009, the Ryan commission published its finding that children put into State care in religious-run residential institutions had suffered systemic abuse. Under the 2002 indemnity agreement, the congregations agreed to provide a contribution of €128 million to those abused, comprising cash, property and counselling services.
The final cost of the response to residential institutional child abuse, however, has since been estimated to be in the region of €1.36 billion. The Government said last year that it believed this should be shared on a 50-50 basis, between the taxpayer and those responsible for managing the institutions where the abuse took place.
Last July, Mr Quinn expressed his disappointment at the level of contributions offered by religious congregations to meet costs of the compensation, saying that offers from the religious congregations to date had fallen far short of the amount needed.
The department said yesterday that the letter had already been in train, before the questions received by the Taoiseach, and that the correspondence was “the official expression” of what Mr Quinn had asked of the congregations last summer.
A spokeswoman confirmed that the letter would be sent in the next fortnight.
they are draging it waiting for survivors to die off then the government will be left with all the money.
Why were we asked to phone Dr.Banardo’s with suggestions regarding the Trust Fund when it appears they are not taking any notice? Many survivors were in favour of a pension which I feel would be a great idea.Just my opinion,maybe this would benefit survivors in the long run.Education we should have had years ago and seening its not for children or grandchildren in the new Trust Fund I do not see any purpose of it.Counciling is already in place why make out it is something new.Meanwhile the years are going while we wait and wait for a closure.
The final cost of the response to residential institutional child abuse, however, has since been estimated to be in the region of €1.36 billion. The Government said last year that it believed this should be shared on a 50-50 basis, between the taxpayer and those responsible for managing the institutions where the abuse took place.
No such thing as 50-50 deals amongst the guilty parties, Mr. Quinn, and if The Right of Place and Groups like them were doing their job they would be objecting at every opportunity with the Government, the Religious and the Media.
The Law of the land is above the Government and these Groups should be bring these matters to the high court and to Europe, in fact if this minister and his office had any balls of intelligence they would take the Vatican to the european high Court .
How come we hear nothing about the objectives of this most horrid affair in the Media?
Once more why are survivors not making a stand?
I put it to you all the Media Especially the Irish Times are neglecting the survivors rights and are siding with the Government.
They simple refuse to side with the public on human matters such as abuse