Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

When I tabled an amendment on Committee Stage to compel religious orders to make a greater contribution, I was informed that it was not possible to compel them to do so. An amendment I proposed on Report Stage on this matter has been ruled out of order on the basis that it is in the nature of a tax. As Deputy Brendan Smith noted, a requirement on the religious congregations to increase their contribution would enjoy cross-party support. People are angry that the congregations have not lived up to the initial agreement and want the State to vigorously pursue the amounts owed. They will not accept a failure on the part of the State to aggressively seek to recover every penny of the money promised by the religious congregations under what was a very good deal for them. I argue that the deal was wrong and that greater responsibility should have been put on the religious orders rather than where it seems to be falling - on the State. I ask the Minister to do whatever he can to expedite payment of the money owed, on which matter he would have cross-party support.

See this speech in context