Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to the 18 religious orders who must contribute more towards the €1.2 billion bill for compensating victims abused in residential institutions, the number of times he has written to the orders; the dates on which he wrote to them; the number of times he has met with them and the dates of these meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10214/12]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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I wrote to all the congregations on 5th July last setting out the Government's response to the offers made and subsequently met with representatives of most congregations on 22nd July 2011. I have since met with the remaining congregations who were not in attendance at the July meeting on the following dates: the Sisters of Mercy and the Institute of Charity (Rosminians) on 21st November, 2011; the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity and the Daughters of the Heart of Mary on 16th December, 2011. I also met with the Christian Brothers on 21st November, 2011.

At those meetings I expressed my disappointment that the contributions offered fell well short of that required to realise a 50:50 share of the cost of the response to abuse. I am anxious to work with the congregations towards achieving a 50:50 sharing of the costs of the response to residential institutional abuse. I have sought the agreement of congregations to exploring a legal mechanism to transfer the title of school properties to the State in this context. I am writing to all the Congregations in relation to these issues.