Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The dialogue that is taking place with the churches is broad and can relate to broad economic issues or issues of mutual concern as to how society is developing. Dialogue with the churches is a good opportunity for both sides to hear the various perspectives and policy priorities in which they are involved. There is no end point to such a dialogue and it should continue. I do not see it as being for a particular number of months, meetings or years and then ending. It is ongoing dialogue.

On the question of the situation with the congregations, there were separate meetings with representatives of the religious congregations and groups representing survivors on 15 April. At those meetings, I advised that the Government had considered the panel's report, together with the individual responses from the congregations to the call for further substantial contributions, along with a range of issues raised in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan report. I stated that the Government's view was that the overall costs in responding to the residential institutional abuse, which are now projected to reach €1.36 billion, should be shared on a 50:50 basis between the taxpayers and the congregations responsible for the running of residential institutions. The congregations are offering significant additional contributions that they have valued at €348.51 million. While more detailed work and discussion is necessary with the congregations in respect of the detail of their property offers, on the assumption these contributions are fully realised, the congregations' collective contributions to date, when account is taken of the original €128 million contribution under the 2002 indemnity agreement, now amount to €476.51 million. This leaves a target of more than €200 million to reach the 50% share of the overall projected costs, which would amount to €680 million.

The Government has proposed to each congregation a process to establish how the objective of achieving a 50% share can be reached over time. The Government has requested that additional contributions be provided to the greatest degree possible in cash as a contribution to the planned national children's hospital. The Government also announced a proposal to use the cash element of the congregations' current offers of contributions, which will amount to approximately €110 million over the next few years, to establish a statutory fund in keeping with the all-party motion passed by Dáil Éireann, which supported the proposal for a trust to be set up and managed by the State for the support of victims and to other education and welfare purposes. As the Deputy indicated, officials are engaged at present with each congregation in respect of its current offers and how the objective of 50:50 sharing of the overall costs could be achieved. Where schools have been offered by congregations as part of their contributions, the detail of such offers will form part of these discussions. Among the issues arising in this regard will be the nature of the continuing use of these buildings, educational or otherwise.

That is the current position of this process. As for the structured dialogue, it affords an opportunity from time to time for the State to meet representatives of the churches and to hear what are their concerns regarding societal developments generally. The economic conditions and outlook have been the dominant theme of public affairs in recent times, with particular emphasis on the realignment of Exchequer income and expenditure. I expect to be able to join colleagues in meetings with the churches on these issues, for example, and intend to arrange a meeting with all the parties to the dialogue process on a plenary basis in the near future.

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