Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We move now to the next item of correspondence, namely, No. 1495 from Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, on the points we raised in our periodic reports in previous meetings on the contribution from religious congregations towards the costs incurred by the State in responding to child abuse in residential institutions. It is an extensive letter from which I wish to highlight a couple of points. Deputy Connolly has an interest in some of this also. Regarding to the 2002 indemnity agreement, which takes us back 16 years at this stage, Mr. Ó Foghlú refers to table C and says €4.21 million remains to be realised from that 16 year-old agreement. He refers to appendix 2 in relation to the 2002 agreement and the position in relation to Mounthawk in Tralee and says it is not possible to provide a timeframe for completion in that regard as it depends on the resolution of litigation. The property is being used as a primary school currently and, as such, we have the benefit of it, if not yet the legal title. The same applies to Waterpark, Newtown Road, Waterford, where the estimated timeframe for completion is the end of the third quarter of 2018, which is this weekend.

He also says that he will have the matters concerning Coiscéim, Cappoquin and the Sacred Heart Centre in Waterford cleared by this weekend. The estimated timeframe for completion of this is the end of this week. This is the letter we received from him in July. I propose we give him ten days and write to confirm the day. The timescales he gave us of his own volition in July have been upheld. Concerning the second agreement, that is, the 2009 voluntary offer, there are still outstanding moneys. A cash contribution of €8.8 million remains outstanding from the Christian Brothers. The contribution is expected to be completed before the end of this year.

Appendix 3 concerns properties to be transferred as part of the 2009 voluntary transfer agreement. Some items are still outstanding. I refer to St. Bernard's Group Homes, Fethard, Tipperary. The estimated time for completion of that transfer is this weekend. The transfer of the adult education centre on Ozanam Street in Waterford is to be completed by the end of this year. The transfer of lands at Convent Road, Cahir, County Tipperary is to be completed by this weekend. Lands at Ballyjamesduff in Cavan are to be transferred by the end of this year. Also to be completed at the end of this year or possibly next year is transfer of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire.

The following items have an estimated time for completion of the end of the year; the Blaithín childcare facility at Gracepark Road, Drumcondra; St. Patrick's primary school, Altamont Street, Westport, County Mayo; and St. Anne's Industrial School for Girls and Junior Boys, Lenaboy, Galway. In ten days we will want a report on the commitments that have been made to completing those by the end of September, outlining whether these commitments were met. We will want a report in January on whether commitments have been met to complete projects by the end of this year, bearing in mind that the most recent are nine years old and the older projects ones are 16 years old. We should not be here talking about matters that should have been resolved 15 years ago. However, we will not let them go. Unfortunately it is the nature of this committee. We will write to Mr. Ó Foghlú on that basis.