SEANAD REPORT: In dealing with child abuse in institutions, the religious orders should put away their law books and take up the New Testament, Dr Maurice Hayes (Ind) said during a debate on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.
The Taoiseach and the Government were to be congratulated for taking on "this liability", but it was easy to make too much of the voluntary nature of the contribution of the religious orders. "It only became voluntary because the State removed the liability. I think they should recognise that."
While there might now be a legal infallibility, there was still a moral responsibility on these people. "I wish they would put away their law books and take up the New Testament."
Dr Hayes said this was not bashing the religious orders. He knew hundreds of religious who had done outstanding work, but that some members of orders had carried out abuse. There had also been a culture of denial.
Urging the orders concerned to look at the issue again, he said they would have seen that the public outcry, such as it was, was largely about the disparate nature of the contributions being made.
He was heartened by the stated willingness of the Archbishop-designate of Dublin to have a less confrontational approach. "To say that it's totally the responsibility of the State because they didn't properly police the system is like blaming the guards for burglary."
The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Mary Coughlan, said the Government continued to consider it was probable that the final cost of awards would not exceed the €508 million that had been estimated as the possible cost of the redress scheme. The Redress Board had processed almost 200 of the 2,000 applications it had received.
On the controversial indemnity agreement, she said it had been argued that the Government had let the congregations off lightly by agreeing to a contribution of €128 million. However it had to be remembered that any contribution by the congregations was completely voluntary. Only time would tell the total cost.
Mr Joe O'Toole (Ind) said it was understandable that the Government had got its compensation estimate wrong. The Taoiseach had said no one could have expected the number of cases that had actually come forward and he was absolutely right.
"The first thing we do is call CORI back in and just see do we need to sell a few more monasteries or round towers or whatever it is that we have to take from them in order to do it. There's nothing wrong with that. That's the way this is supposed to work and that's the way it needs to work. It's not about leaving people destitute and it's not about punishing people who don't need to be punished. There's a job of work to be done here."
The Government should tell CORI that if it had more assets it should be prepared to pay more because the cost had risen.