Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To conclude on a good note, I am pleased with the letter we received from Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú about the property transfers and cash payments from religious congregations as contributions towards the costs incurred by the State in responding to residential institutional child abuse. It would be remiss of me not to put this on the public record. As Chairman of this committee, I point out that we have been on this case with the Department for the last couple of years. This issue has been going on for 17 years at this stage and there appeared to be a lack of drive in terms of getting it over the line, but we have seen a considerable effort being made in the past year or two. We have been getting quarterly reports on it. In case the people watching are wondering if it all vanished into thin air, I want to put this information on the record and would ask the witnesses to comment. I will read from the aforementioned letter because it is important for the public to see that the Department has been following this well.

Properties are being transferred in respect of the 2002 indemnity agreement, as are those offered voluntarily by congregations under the 2009 agreement. Since the last quarterly report, a number of transfers have been completed. The former primary school at Westport in County Mayo has been completely transferred, and the transfer of St. Anne's, Lenaboy, in Galway, and of lands at Cahir, County Tipperary, have also been completed. Three properties have yet to be dealt with and are referred to in this report. One is at Ballyjamesduff involving the Sisters of Saint Clare. The note on this says that the Chief State Solicitor's office is awaiting closing documents from the congregation's solicitor prior to the transfer being in a position to be completed. Communication is ongoing between both solicitors and transfer is expected to be completed shortly. That transfer is earmarked for the end of this year and it is hoped it will be included in the report early next year. Do the witnesses want to add anything to that?