Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 138: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress made with regard to the renegotiation of the indemnity agreement 2001 signed between the State and the 18 religious teaching orders to cover the expenses covered by the Residential Institutions Redress Board; if he will publish the findings of the audit into the assets of the 18 religious teaching orders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37086/09]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the offers made to date of an additional contribution by way of reparation which has been received by the Exchequer from all or any of the 18 religious orders and congregations who signed the 2002 indemnity agreement with regard to compensation payable to victims of institutional abuse; and his views on the progress made since the publication of the Ryan report in addressing this issue and putting in place new arrangements. [37112/09]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 559: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the methodology whereby funds provided by religious orders for compensation to survivors of child abuse are to be disbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36661/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 138, 156 and 559 together.

The Deputies will be aware that following publication of the Ryan Report, this House passed a unanimous motion on 28th May, 2009 calling on the congregations to commit to making further substantial contributions by way of reparation, in the context of discussions with the State, including to a Trust to be set up and managed by the State for the support of victims and to other education and welfare purposes.

The Taoiseach and relevant Ministers, including myself, met representatives of the religious congregations on 4th and 24th June last. At the meeting on 4th June, the Taoiseach conveyed the views of the Government and this House, that further substantial contributions are required by way of reparation and that these contributions need to be capable of being assessed by the public for their significance by reference to the full resources available to the congregations and in the context of the costs of well over a billion euro incurred by the State. At the meeting and subsequently in a press release, the congregations indicated their willingness to make further contributions. Any such contributions will be separate to those associated with the 2002 Indemnity Agreement. The current engagement with the religious congregations does not involve a re-negotiation of that agreement.

At the subsequent meeting on 24th June, the congregations reported on the progress they had made in compiling reports on their financial positions. The Taoiseach indicated that the Government would appoint a panel of three independent persons to assess the material submitted by the congregations and report to Government as to the adequacy of these statements as a basis for assessing the resources of the congregations.

The appointment of the three person panel by the Government to examine these statements was announced on 28th July. In this announcement, the Government indicated that while the Panel is carrying out its work, it expected that the congregations would be working to produce an offer of a substantial contribution by way of reparation for the suffering of children in residential institutions. The statement was circulated to the leaders of all the congregations and their attention was specifically drawn to this aspect of it.

All of the congregations have submitted their statements and I understand that the Panel is well advanced in its work and expects to be in a position to report before the end of October. It is intended that the conclusions of the panel will be made public.

The Taoiseach wrote to the congregations in September requesting that the offer be forwarded to me as soon as possible. The offer from the congregations is awaited.

On the question of the uses to which the contribution will be put, the House has noted that both in the meetings with former residents and the congregations, support was expressed for the proposal that the use of a further substantial contribution from the congregations should include a form of independent trust to be set up by the State which would be available to support the needs of survivors for general education and welfare purposes. The Government will consider the matter, in consultation with the representatives of the survivors and the congregations, following receipt of the offer from the congregations and the report of the Panel on the adequacy of the financial statements provided by the congregations as a basis for assessing the resources of the congregations.