Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 September 2011
49 Deputy Jonathan O’Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding his efforts to ensure religious institutions meet half the compensation costs to victims of abuse in residential institutions, the cost of which is estimated at €1.36 billion; and the measures that are in place to deal with religious orders that have placed 47 religious schools under the management and operation of the Le Chéile Schools Trust. [25093/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 22nd July last I met with representatives of many of the 18 congregations who were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement. At that meeting I expressed my disappointment that their offers fall well short of the €680m contribution required to realise a 50:50 share of the costs of the response to residential institutional abuse. I sought their agreement to a legal mechanism which would ensure that title to school infrastructure properties would be transferred to the State, at the State's request, and that title to such properties could not be altered, whether by sale on the open market or by transfer into any Trust arrangement, without the prior consent of my Department. I will shortly be meeting with some individual congregations and I will continue to pursue the realisation of the 50:50 target contribution with the congregations involved.
