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.
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