Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Following the publication of the Ryan report, this House passed a unanimous motion calling on the congregations to commit to making further substantial contributions by way of reparation. In June of this year, the Taoiseach and the relevant Ministers, including me, met representatives of the 18 religious congregations that were party to the 2002 indemnity agreement. The congregations indicated their willingness to make further contributions. Any such contributions are separate from the 2002 indemnity agreement and associated contributions.

The Government has made clear that these contributions must 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 €1 billion incurred by the State. In this context, the Government appointed a panel of three independent persons to assess the financial statements submitted by the congregations and to 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 at the end of October. The report was examined within my Department and a number of clarifications were sought from the panel. In response, the panel elaborated on the relevant points within the context of its report and submitted an expanded report on 25 November 2009. Although an overall offer of a contribution on behalf of the congregations collectively was sought, the congregations' responses have been on an individual basis. I expect to have the complete set of responses from the congregations in the next day or so.

I will bring the panel's report and details of the congregations' offers of contributions to the attention of the Government at the earliest opportunity. The position in respect of publication is that while it has always been the intention to publish the conclusions of the panel and the offers from the congregations, the arrangements for publication will be considered by the Government. In this regard, I am concerned to ensure that the survivors and their representatives are kept fully informed of developments. Deputies will be aware that some religious congregations have published their individual offers and details of their respective financial positions. Although the approach taken by an individual congregation is a matter for it, my objective is to have the collective comprehensive position available.

Once the full position is known, the Government will consider the uses to which the contributions will be put, in consultation with the representatives of the survivors and the congregations.

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