Government asks for 50:50 Contribution to Total Costs of Response to Residential Institution Abuse by Religious Institutions
The Taoiseach, Mr Brian Cowen T.D. along with the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Science Mary Coughlan T.D. Ministers Dermot Ahern T.D. Mary Harney T.D. and Minister of State Barry Andrews T.D. held separate meetings in Government Buildings today with representatives of Religious Congregations and with groups representing survivors of residential institutional child abuse.
Following the publication of the Ryan Report last May, the Taoiseach and representatives of the Government met both the Religious Congregations who were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement and the survivor groups. The Taoiseach sought significant additional contributions from the Congregations by way of reparation in the light of the findings of the Ryan Report. The Taoiseach stressed that the additional contributions needed to be capable of being assessed by the public for their significance by reference to the full resources available to the Congregations and in the context of the costs of well over a billion euro being incurred by the State.
An Independent Panel was appointed to assess statements of their affairs submitted by the Congregations and report to Government as to the adequacy of these statements as a basis for assessing the resources of the Congregations. The Panel submitted its report last November. Separately the Congregations responded to Government in relation to a further contribution. While an overall offer of a contribution on behalf of the Congregations collectively was sought, the Congregations' responses have been on an individual basis and a full set of responses was received.
The Government has now considered the Panel's report together with the responses of the Congregations to the call for further substantial contributions, along with a range of issues raised in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report.
The Government view is that an ultimate outcome that reflects the conclusions in the Ryan Report regarding the responsibility of the State and the Religious Congregations, and so resulted in the overall costs in responding to residential institutional abuse being shared on a 50:50 basis between the taxpayer and those responsible for the residential institutions, would be appropriate.
The final cost of the response to residential institutional abuse is estimated to reach €1.36 billion. While the main element of that cost is the Redress Scheme, other costs include the cost of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse and the Education Finance Board.
In addition to the original €128m contribution under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, the Congregations are now offering significant additional contributions, which they have valued at €348.51m. The all party Motion passed by Dáil Éireann supported the proposal for a Trust to be set up and managed by the State for the support of victims and to other education and welfare purposes. The Government is proposing to utilise the cash element of the Congregations' offers of contributions which is intended to amount to €110m over the next few years, to establish a Statutory Fund and will be consulting with the former residents as to the exact nature of the fund, how it will operate and the uses to which it will be put.
More detailed work and discussion with the Congregations will be required in relation to the detail of the property offers. Assuming that these contributions are fully realised, the collective contribution of the Congregations would be €476.51m, leaving a target of over €200m to reach the 50% share of some €680m. The Government has proposed to each Congregation a process to establish how this objective can be achieved over time. The Government intends that cash received as part of that additional contribution will be used as a contribution to the planned National Children's Hospital.
The Government is very conscious of the ongoing pain suffered by so many further residents and reiterates once again its apology to them and its commitment to the full implementation of the Ryan Report recommendations.
The report of the Panel together with the responses from the congregations to the call for further substantial contributions are being published on the website of the Department of Education and Science.
www.education.ie/servlet/blobservlet/pub_religious_offers.pdf
Background Note:
The first significant step in acknowledging and dealing with the reality of child abuse that occurred in state regulated residential institutions was the apology by the former Taoiseach in May 1999. Subsequently the State put in place a range of measures in response to residential institutional child abuse. Firstly, the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was established. The Commission was designed to allow victims of abuse tell of the abuse they suffered; to establish a comprehensive view of the causes, nature and extent of abuse and to compile and publish a report on its activities, findings and recommendations.
The independent Residential Institutions Redress Scheme provides fair and reasonable awards to victims of institutional childhood abuse. The Board is wholly independent in the performance of its functions and over the last seven years has dealt with over 13,800 cases, resulting in over 13,000 awards being accepted by applicants. The Board has some 800 applications to process and it continues to accept late applications in exceptional circumstances. It is expected that the Board will complete its work within the next year or so. The Government has considered a range of demands for the Redress Scheme to be extended and for awards made to be reviewed. It is not possible for the Government to second guess the independent Board and associated appeals process to the Review Committee. There is provision for late applications and the Board continues to process such requests.
A National Counselling Service was established to assist victims cope with their experiences together with a family tracing service to assist former residents trace their families of origin Educational services were also provided for former residents and their families while funding was provided for support groups.
The Government is satisfied that the arrangements put in place have benefited survivors and it does not propose to revise the arrangements.
Last May both the Government and the Dáil fully supported the full implementation of the Ryan Report's Recommendations. The Government subsequently published its Implementation Plan in July. The Ryan Report found a much more systemic volume of abuse in institutions than was previously known or accepted by the religious Congregations and the Government and subsequently Dáil Éireann called on the Congregations to commit to making further substantial contributions by way of reparation.