The Irish Times – Tuesday, November 17, 2009
PATSY McGARRY
SOME OF the 18 religious congregations that ran residential institutions investigated by the Ryan commission have yet to respond to letters from Government requesting them to indicate what they would contribute to a new compensation fund for former residents of the institutions.
On July 28th last the Government said it expected the congregations would offer a substantial contribution by way of reparation for the suffering of children in the institutions.
It sent the statement to leaders of the relevant congregations, with attention specifically drawn to this contribution aspect.
When some congregations did not respond to that statement, Taoiseach Brian Cowen wrote to the congregations in September requesting that their offer be forwarded to the Minister for Education as soon as possible.
Then, on October 22nd last, Brigid McManus, secretary general at the Department of Education, again wrote to congregations with a similar request.
However, a spokeswoman for the department has told The Irish Times that “while responses have been received from some congregations, the position is that a full set of responses from all the congregations is awaited”.
Meanwhile, a panel set up by the Government at the end of July to assess details of the congregations’ financial position, submitted to Government in the summer, has completed its work.
The panel was chaired by Frank Daly, former chairman of the Revenue Commissioners.
It was to report to Government on the adequacy of the financial statements from the congregations as a basis for assessing their resources.
That report is now “under examination prior to being submitted to the Government”, the Department of Education spokeswoman said.
Six billion is the overall sum that has to be put on the table if survivors have to each receive 300,000 plus 60,000 aggravated damages. Noel Barry, Christy Heaphy and Michael O’Brien have been bandying these figures around at meetings since early summer. So let’s have it out with them. John Kelly has been saying there’s ‘pots of money’ only it’s not meandering our way! Perhaps Andrew you might enlighten us seeing as you’re now a director of Soca Ltd.!!!
this was put to me….’if’ each of the (18) religious Orders had put an average of 12 Million towards the REDRESS BOARD…(2000) that equals-about 218 Million …RIGHT?….RIGHT!…however, lets take away…127 Million….that leaves about 89 Million..give or take-; of the 89 Million that ‘appears’ to be coming from the religious orders in recent times, (? ‘had the ryan report gone the other way)….would the religious have come out and said ‘we’ll give an additional 89 million more-towards the 218 million?) I think not-because,the (average) 89 million was already in place, a sort of (abuse insurance policy)-for the past ten years..-minus its Interests; but, the 127 million was not 127 million, it was (?) 40 million in Mortar….and the rest in cash; so yes, the audit books HAVE long since-LEFT THE COUNTRY; while the people of Ireland have been-deceived…again. oh, ferryhouse was ‘sold to the dept of ed…in the early 1980’s; for 12 Million; a lot of interests have accrued since then!
This is where the Catholic Church will make it’s final stand, This is their Stalingrad. They will now dig in for the long winter and attempt to wear down the government. As I said early on the Roman church has moved in to the phase of nihilism where only one thing matters, its wealth. It has abandond God and and thrown its mask which now reveals what?. Satan?.
I wouldn’t bother waiting. If their is a deadline to get the $$ in, then just pay it from state funds. Deduct that amount from the educational funds the lying churches get yearly. Watch them scream then. The education they offer sure won’t suffer for the lack of funds.
Shame on the Irish Government. Have you been paid of to keep putting us of???…Like I said before you shall all meet your maker.
You had a chance, so many chances to do the right thing and yet whenever most people get involved they end up corrupt in some way…on the back of every case of child abuse to ever walk through those institutions/concentration camps!!
What another calculated move by the Congregations.
Anne
When it comes to the so called ‘pillars of society’ we are getting tired of their outrageous actions and reactions. People are abused and the response from those responsible is denial. Then, when they can to longer turn a blind eye they continue to abuse by delaying or refusing to make reparation.
I was once part of a religious order and I am not proud of the delaying tactics of the people who make decisions on behalf of religious orders today. How long have survivors of abuse to wait before so called religious people act with compassion and humanity?
All playing the same old patriarchal games of playing Gods- who think they are above the law.
Well, Paddy, you refer to them as men and women- but I have to disagree with you on that- these are not men and women- but spoiled boys and girls who have yet to grow up and be men and women.
They have been conditioned to believe they are Gods above the rest of us.
Remember all that shi*e re them living in luxury and we suffering on this life, so we could supposedly enjoy Heaven- well what a scam that was.
Well now! Isn’t that a surprise? If there were Oscars going for foot-dragging and procrastination the religious orders would be carrying off every award.
How long more have we to put up with this messing around and why aren’t the government “cracking the whip”?
What’s the rush? The survivors of abuse can wait. Don’t rush yourselves brothers and sisters you might burst a gut! As for the men and women in the Dáil – go easy on the religious orders. They appear to be your buddies/mates.