Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
583. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the outstanding amounts due by religious congregations to the Caranua fund in tabular form; when it is expected that the moneys will be collected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34618/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra584. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the outstanding amount due to the Caranua fund will be paid over in advance of the wind-down of the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34619/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra585. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure that those religious congregations with outstanding amounts due to the Caranua fund will have paid in full in advance of the wind-down of the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34620/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 583 to 585, inclusive, together.
To date €101.59 million of the €110 million in contributions from religious congregations provided for in section 29(4) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012 has been received and made available to Caranua. Additional added and accrued interest, not forming part of the €110 million, amounting to €1.382m has also been made available to Caranua.
Therefore. the amount of outstanding funding needed to achieve the €110 million maximum total amount (excluding interest) available to Caranua stands at €8.41 million. The Congregation of Christian Brothers has yet to complete an outstanding cash contribution of €8.8 million. I anticipate that the Congregation will complete its cash contribution this year and, therefore, that Caranua will have its full allocation of funding available to it at that stage. Any contributions received in excess of €110 million and any additional cash contributions offered by congregations will go towards the costs associated with the new Children’s Hospital.
As the Deputy is aware, following the recent publication of the Eligibility Review Caranua announced that it would cease to accept applications with effect from 1 August next. Caranua has publicised this cessation date and I would encourage anyone who has yet to submit an application to do so before 1 August. The Deputy will appreciate that closure of the organisation will not take place until the funding available to it has been expended. It is likely that this will take a period of time.
