merrion street

C&AG report shows that progress has actually gone into reverse, with diminution in the value of the offers made by the congregations

The Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, today expressed frustration and disappointment at the lack of progress by the religious congregations in meeting the costs of residential institutional child abuse.
A report by the C&AG published today confirms that when the withdrawal of one offer previously made is combined with some changes in the valuation of properties previously offered, the total value of the offers currently in place and the contributions already made by the congregations comes to €320.8million. Of this €209million has been received.
The report also confirms that the total cost of all elements of residential abuse, including the inquiry, the redress scheme and related survivor supports, is €1.518billion. This means that even if all the offers currently on the table are delivered upon, the religious congregations will have funded 21.1% of the total cost of residential abuse, while the State will have funded 78.9%.
The contributions and offers made by the congregations relate to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement between the then Government and the congregations, under which the congregations offered €128million (of which €112.9million has been realised); and the 2009 voluntary offers, following the publication of the Ryan report, under which the congregations offered €352.6million, now revised to €192.8million (of which €96.1million has been realised).
The 50/50 target between the State and the congregations for meeting the costs of abuse has not been signed up to by the congregations; however it has been the position of successive Governments that given their responsibility for managing the institutions where horrific and life-altering abuse took place, the congregations should meet 50% of the cost of inquiring into what happened and compensating the victims of that abuse.
It is also important to note that, given the contents of the 2002 Indemnity Agreement signed up to by the then Government, the Government today does not have legal mechanisms open to it to compel the religious congregations to meet the 50/50 target, or to deliver more rapidly on the voluntary offers made in 2009.
Aside from these issues, the report makes a number of recommendations for the Department of Education and Skills (below), all of which have been accepted.
Speaking today, Minister Bruton said:
“The Ryan report revealed the horrors suffered by thousands of children in residential institutions managed by religious congregations and funded and supervised by the State. As we remember the horrendous abuse that was suffered we have to remind ourselves that these children were among the most vulnerable people in Irish society at that time, whom both the State and the religious congregations were meant to be protecting and cherishing.
“This week we have unfortunately seen a further reminder of the legacy of Ireland’s hidden past and the role of religious congregations in that.
“Today’s report summarises and updates us on the response of the State and the congregations to those events. It makes a number of recommendations for the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, all of which have been accepted.
“However it also details the lack of progress made by the religious congregations in either delivering on the offers which they have made or in increasing those offers with a view to meeting the 50% target which successive Governments have reaffirmed. In fact, the progress has gone in reverse, with one substantial offer having been withdrawn and some valuations falling. As Minister for Education and Skills I find this hugely disappointing and massively frustrating, that the organisations responsible for protecting children and managing the institutions in which these horrendous acts took place would apparently place so little value on that responsibility.
“Unfortunately as a result of agreements put in place by previous Governments we have no legal mechanisms open to us to compel the congregations to meet these targets. Ruairi Quinn in particular under the last Government worked hard in holding meetings and engaging directly with the congregations in seeking to put moral pressure on them to deliver on their responsibilities.
“Ordinary members of the Church, who look to these organisations as sources of authority and good, will be among the most let down by these developments.
“Unfortunately after today’s report we have to ask questions as to why organisations with stated missions to serve the public and uphold moral codes are apparently placing so little importance on those values”.
ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS
The recommendations for the Department of Education and Skills, all of which have been accepted, are:
· the Department, in tandem with the Board and the Commission, should ensure that a post hoc evaluation of the redress scheme is conducted to record the lessons learned in order to inform future such schemes and that the evaluation should incorporate and compare international good practice in other countries and contrast and compare best practice. It suggested that it would be also useful to examine the effectiveness of the supports provided to survivors and to survivor groups including the extent to which these initiatives are effective in meeting their intended objectives (Recommendation 1.1).
· the Department should reassess its original forecast methodology, to identify how such forecasting could be improved in future (Recommendation 1.2).
· the Department should conduct a post evaluation review on the establishment, functions and operation of the Commission and the factors that impacted on the timescale to complete its work with a view to lessons learned and to inform future commissions and inquiries (Recommendation 1.3).
· the Department should actively pursue the outstanding balance of €21 million (now reduced to €15m) agreed under the Indemnity Agreement. Arrangements for the transfer of 15 properties (now 11) with good and marketable title as at the date of this report and any other contributions offered post 2009 by the congregations should be concluded as soon as practicable. (Recommendation 1.4)

The recommendations relevant to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, all of which were agreed to, were that
Ø Consideration should be given to lessons learned from other countries in seeking to reduce third party legal costs and for limiting as much as possible the adversarial nature of the process when designing future redress schemes (Recommendation 1.5).
Ø When designing future redress schemes, public bodies should ensure that the IT system employed captures full relevant information from the outset, and on an ongoing basis, on all data regarding applicants and legal costs arising and incurred. The electronic capture of such data provides important management information and can be used as a baseline for future redress schemes and for evaluation, without the need for disclosure of claimants’ details. (Recommendation 1.6).