Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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57. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the funds due to the State from religious congregations for the redress scheme; if he has received commitments from the religious congregations regarding the payment of the balance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16705/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the recent publication of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General Cost of Child Abuse Inquiry and Redress. The report provides an important summary of the current position in relation to the various initiatives taken by successive governments in support of persons who were abused when as children they resided in institutions and it sets out the position in regard to how those initiatives have been funded. The report highlights in particular the fact that the religious congregations who managed many of those institutions will fund at most approximately 21% of the €1.5 billion cost of the response to residential institutional child abuse with the State, i.e. the taxpayer meeting the vast bulk of those costs.

I am disappointed and frustrated that the organisations responsible for protecting children and managing the institutions in which abuse of children took place have failed to adequately contribute towards the cost of the response that has been put in place. It has been the position of successive Governments that, given that the religious congregations were responsible for the management of institutions where horrific abuse of children took place, as documented in the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the “Ryan Report”), they should commit to making further substantial contributions towards the cost of abuse.  Having regard to the work of the independent panel's report, the Government adopted a position that the congregations had the resources to bring their contribution over time to 50% of the then estimated costs. Regrettably the congregations have never agreed to this position, with the result that the State has met the bulk of the costs involved.

To date contributions amounting to some €210 million in cash, counselling and property transfers have been made by the 18 religious congregations who managed most of the institutions. These contributions are being made under two rounds: the binding 2002 Indemnity Agreement and the voluntary offers made in 2009 in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report.

Some €112.9 million of the €128 million (or 88%) provided for under the 2002 Indemnity Agreement has been fully contributed. 11 property transfers remain to be fully completed. Work to complete these transfers is actively progressing and I should point out that in most of the remaining cases the transfer process is at a very advanced stage. It is worth noting also that most of the properties are already in use by the intended recipients.

The offers made in the aftermath of the publication of the Ryan Report by many of the congregations that were party to the 2002 Indemnity Agreement, included cash and properties and were valued by the congregations at €352.6m. I should stress that these offers are voluntary and do not form part of any agreement.

Regrettably one significant element of the most recent offer, relating to playing fields and associated lands, valued at €127 million, was withdrawn by the Christian Brothers. When this is combined with some changes in the valuation of properties previously offered, the total value of the voluntary offers currently in place stands at €193 million, of which contributions of cash and property amounting to some €97.3 million have been realised. It is expected that the outstanding congregational cash contributions will be received by 2018 while work is progressing to complete remaining property transfers.