Seanad debates

Wednesday, 8 October 2003

Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse: Statements (Resumed).

 

The contribution of €128 million from the religious congregations means the State does not have to fund the entire bill. It also means that the need for further actions in the courts is minimised. While it has been argued that the State should not have accepted a sum of €128 million and should have insisted on a higher contribution and possibly a 50:50 split, it is my view and that of the Government that the agreement reached was the best that could have been achieved in the circumstances. In France, the state took on the churches on these issues and lost when it secured a discovery of documents order against them. That was appealed to the French Supreme Court which found that the documents had to be returned. The judges did not award a penny. Against this background, other international information, legal facts and common sense, a solid conclusion has been reached in our case.

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