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  Ireland Names Religious Cash Panel after Abuse Probe (update1)

By Dara Doyle and Colm Heatley
Bloomberg
July 29, 2009

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=alAjxZtf34k4

July 29 (Bloomberg) -- Ireland’s government appointed a three-person panel to study the assets of religious orders following the publication of a report into child abuse at institutions run by the groups.

“The government indicated that while the panel is carrying out its work, it expected the congregations to be working to produce an offer of a substantial contribution by way of reparation,” it said in a statement late last night.

The Ryan report, released May 20, documented “endemic” child abuse at religious-run institutions in Ireland since the 1930s. Prime Minister Brian Cowen said in June the orders should make extra contributions to victims because of the scale of the abuse documented in the report. The orders agreed to contribute to a trust proposed by Cowen and said they would identify their potential resources.

Frank Daly, former chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, will chair the panel, the government’s statement said. Catherine Treacy, chief executive officer of the Property Registration Authority, and John Donnelly, former chairman of Deloitte and Touche LLP accountants, are also on the panel.

The government will increase the number of counselors available to the victims, introduce independent inspections to all children’s care homes by 2010 and provide greater support for social workers as a result of the Ryan report, Barry Andrews, minister for children and youth affairs, told the Irish parliament yesterday.

The cost of compensation to abuse victims could total 1.3 billion euros ($1.8 billion), newspapers including the Irish Times have reported. A 2002 deal between the government and the orders had capped the groups’ contribution at 128 million euros.

To contact the reporters on this story: Dara Doyle at ddoyle1@bloomberg.net. Colm Heatley in Belfast at cheatley@bloomberg.net

 
 

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