RTE News
May 26, 2009
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0526/abuse.html
The Conference of the Religious in Ireland has said the refusal by the orders to renegotiate the compensation deal agreed with the State is not a blocking mechanism or a way of saying no to the survivors.
CORI represents the 18 congregations responsible for institutional abuse of children.
On RTE's Morning Ireland, CORI Director General Marianne O'Connor said the orders involved would put more resources, including money, into meeting the needs of abuse survivors directly.
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| Govt to discuss Ryan report later today |
She said that the orders were already supporting former residents and that they were seeking the best way to help those still suffering from the abuse they experienced at the hands of those who ran the institutions.
However, Ms O'Connor said the 2002 deal would not be revisited.
The Cabinet will be briefed by the Attorney General about the legal situation of the deal when it meets later today.
Speaking on RTE's Questions and Answers last night, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said the religious orders should put money into a trust to help victims, rather than contribute to the State compensation fund.
The report was published last week, a decade after the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse was set up by the Government.
Following the report there were mounting calls for the religious orders to revisit the deal, which capped their contributions.
Fine Gael Leader Enda Kenny has said religious orders have a moral responsibility to contribute more to help the survivors of institutional abuse.
He said the recommendations of the Ryan report must be implemented in full.
Speaking in Dublin, Mr Kenny said there needs to be a focus on young people now and how they are protected and dealt with.
He said in 2009 the state remains unable to look after children who need care.
Responding to criticism of himself on last night's Questions and Answers programme when a victim accused him of playing politics with the issue, he said if that were the case he would apologise, but he said the matter is way beyond politics or playing politics with it.
Labour Party justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte has called on Taoiseach Brian Cowen to invite CORI to a meeting to discuss reopening the agreement.
Mr Rabbitte described CORI's refusal to do so as a calculated snub to public opinion.
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