Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I appreciate this new found obsession with secrecy and privacy on behalf of the Government, but we are discussing taxpayers' money. The taxpayer is out to the tune of €1.27 billion in terms of funding the costs of the redress board. The religious congregations have contributed in the order of 10%. Whatever about the final destination of the money, the taxpayer has had to pay the balance in the meantime. Surely, at this stage without prejudice to any decision the Minister may make or to the outturn of the panel's report, the Minister should be able to give an indication of how much has been offered in gross terms either in cash or kind or some combination of the two.

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