Under the terms of the indemnity agreement between the State and CORI, signed on the 5 June 2002, there is provision for CORI to make a contribution of €128 million as follows: cash payment, €41.14 million; property, €76.86 million; counselling, €10.00 million. The cash sum of €41.14 million has been received in full.
Under the property aspect of the indemnity agreement two schedules of property have been submitted by CORI. The first schedule represents property to the value of €36.54 million that the religious congregations are offering to the State. Initially the State party had a period of nine months to consider these offers. An extension of a further two months was requested in order to consider the properties on offer further. Following further examination of the properties on offer, officials at my Department outlined a number of properties which the State was prepared to accept a fee simple interest in. A number of other properties were rejected on the basis that no benefit to the State could be identified by acquiring a title.
Section 8 of the agreement states that in the event that the State party rejects a property offered, the religious congregation has the right to replace the property with an alternative property or cash sum equivalent. CORI has submitted a schedule of alternative properties which the congregations propose to offer the State in place of the properties the State has declined. The nine month period for consideration of these properties commenced on the receipt of this list by my Department. The second schedule represents properties to the value of €40.32 million that the religious congregations maintain were transferred to the State since the date of the Taoiseach's apology on the 11 May 1999. To date the State party has not agreed that any properties on this schedule qualify under the terms of the indemnity. Officials at my Department have sought additional information in relation to these properties from CORI.