Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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163. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the Christian Brothers are to pay their outstanding debts to the redress scheme: if there is a requirement for them to pay in cash or if land transfers would be acceptable, particularly in cases in which doing so would safeguard a school and its facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25457/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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173. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that the Christian Bothers intend to pay the full amount of their debt to the redress scheme at the expense of a school (details supplied) in County Dublin by selling off the school's playing fields; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25456/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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174. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the Christian Brothers are to pay their outstanding debts to the redress scheme; if there is a requirement for them to pay in cash or if land transfers would be acceptable, particularly in cases in which doing so would safeguard a school and its facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25458/17]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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175. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an agreement was made by the Christian Brothers to ensure the use of the playing fields attached to a college (details supplied) would be used by the college and its pupils as long as it was in existence; if the Christian Brothers move to sell the playing fields to a property developer represents a breach of that agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25459/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 173 to 175, inclusive, together.

In the aftermath of the publication, in May 2009, of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the “Ryan Report”) many of the religious congregations that managed institutions in which abuse took place offered additional voluntary contributions towards the cost of the State’s response to that abuse which is now expected to reach some €1.5 billion.  

The response of the Congregation of Christian Brothers was to voluntarily offer an additional cash contribution of €30 million for the proposed fund for former residents, a contribution of €4 million for counselling and the transfer of its portfolio of 49 school playing fields and associated lands to a new independent trust involving the State and the Edmund Rice Schools Trust to which the playing fields are licensed. 

The Government subsequently decided that the €4 million in counselling would not be reckoned as a contribution. The proposal to transfer the playing fields was the subject of discussion between the Congregation and previous ministers. Counter proposals were put to the Congregation regarding future ownership of the fields but these were not accepted. The Congregation has recently written to me indicating its willingness to engage further with my Department on how the transfer could proceed and be reckoned as a redress contribution. 

To date the Congregation has paid €21.2 million of its pledged cash contribution and has indicated that it intends to pay the remaining €8.8 million either later this year or in 2018. Completion of this contribution is vitally important as it will help to ensure that Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund, will have the full €110 million in cash contributions offered by the religious congregations available to it. This will enable Caranua to provide much needed supports to former residents who are in need of assistance. 

I appreciate that the Christian Brothers wish to follow through on their commitments. It is however, a matter for the Congregation to make its own decisions in regard to how it will fund the remaining element of its pledged cash contribution and I have no role in that process.  It would, however, also be very disappointing if the educational needs of current and future generations of children were compromised in achieving this goal. I would hope that the Congregation takes this fully into account during their deliberations.  My Department is writing to the Congregation on the matter of the proposed sale of land adjacent to the school referred to by the Deputy, seeking clarification on a number of relevant matters including the current status of the proposed sale and whether consideration was given to future educational needs prior to the decision being taken to dispose of the land.

I am not privy to any agreement that may have been made between the Congregation of Christian Brothers, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust and the authorities of any particular school in regard to school playing fields. I should note also that there is no agreement in place between my Department and the Congregation in regard to the transfer of its playing fields and associated lands to any new ownership structure.