Seanad debates

Tuesday, 7 October 2003

Order of Business: Motion. - Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Statements.

 

How will this happen? I call on the religious orders to examine the role they are playing in this process. It is not impressive, given what we know. Fr. Seán Healy said today that the orders should make public the information on their assets. However, journalist Mary Raftery, who has been a shining light of information and clarity on this issue, said on the radio at lunch time today that the experience in other countries was that it was difficult to obtain full information on the assets of religious orders. Some assets could be hidden, liquidations have occurred and, in some cases, property was tied up in trusts and so forth. This matter is not as simple as it looks. What is required is a level of honesty, openness and responsibility that has been absent to date. Instead, we are getting a defiant attitude of releasing as little information as possible. It is a lawyer-driven approach rather than the church-driven approach we would have expected from the religious orders.

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