Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)

We all want to see those accountable to be made to contribute. I welcome that the Government is exploring and examining legal options. However, this is not a new phenomenon; we have known about this issue for years. The Labour Party produced a Bill to ensure that we can pursue religious orders and unincorporated associations. I have sent the Taoiseach a copy I will send him another copy. We need this urgently. As we know, for years religious orders have been carrying out a perfectly legal practice of transferring their assets and their properties to associated lay-run trusts.

I have described this as the developer's wife syndrome. In some cases it puts assets out of the reach of State authorities and it is not acceptable. As of September 2024, religious orders have paid just 16% of institutional redress costs that were owed but we know the money is there. Religious orders involved in historic abuse have sold more than 75 properties worth a total of over €90 million since 2016. We know these orders and their associated trusts own vast quantities of property and assets around the State. We are simply asking, as are survivors, that they be made to pay the redress they so clearly owe to survivors who were denied justice for so long.

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