Alex White (Labour)

I support the calls for us to return to the implications of the Ryan commission report. There is a need to debate this in greater depth and at some length. Many argued that it is time to revisit the deal done with the congregations and the wider question of the ownership by the congregations of a considerable amount of property, including most of our national schools. It seems this is a timely and important opportunity to reopen the question of ownership of our schools and the relevance of that fact in the context of what has been determined by Mr. Justice Ryan.

Can the Leader raise the following proposal with the Minister? The congregations will be required to make much more substantial reparation for what occurred than under the deal negotiated with them. One interim measure could be that the congregations could pay to the persons who came before the redress board and received awards and those who are awaiting hearings the 20% aggravated damages contemplated by the scheme. The maximum award is €300,000 but it was contemplated that persons could be awarded up to 20% of that award in aggravated damages. There is a precedent of aggravated damages being awarded in a number of compensation schemes. The hepatitis C compensation scheme is one with which I am familiar. I ask the Taoiseach to approach the congregations with the interim measure of awarding the 20% aggravated damages contemplated by the scheme to all those who received awards or those awaiting awards.