A public apology by Cardinal Desmond Connell was the last element agreed in a child-sex abuse case involving the Dublin Archdiocese and Mr Mervyn Rundle. The Catholic Church in Ireland has had a serious problem with saying "sorry" to such victims and meaning it.
Had such an approach been taken in 1985 and the paedophile priest, Father Thomas Naughton, removed from the company of children, this case might never have reached the courts. And although Cardinal Connell was not in charge of the Archdiocese at that time, his subsequent behaviour left much to be desired.
The estimated award of €345,000 in this case, one of hundreds taken against the Dublin Archdiocese, will have serious financial consequences not just for the Catholic Church but for taxpayers in general. If the settlement terms are used as a template in future cases of sexual abuse and rape, the costs could be enormous. A State-sponsored investigation into sexual abuse by priests is due to open in the Diocese of Ferns, under Judge Frank Murphy, next month. And the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, is finalising the terms of reference for an inquiry into paedophilia that will involve the examination of diocesan records, particularly in Dublin.
In a separate development, the Government is attempting to establish the extent of physical and sexual abuse of children while they were in State-funded institutions, going back to the 1940s.
Already, about 2,000 complaints have been made to a Commission headed by Ms Justice Mary Laffoy. And there are indications that up to 3,000 legal cases may be taken. The cost of compensation to taxpayers could be astronomical.
Last year, the Coalition Government took upon itself the bulk of these unquantified costs when the then Minister for Education and Science, Dr Woods, struck a deal with the Conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI) and agreed their liability at €128 million. The total liability for Church and State was estimated at about €400 million. Under the arrangement, CORI made a cash provision of €38 million; €80 million in the transfer of land and buildings (some of which took place up to three years earlier) and €10 million towards counselling, record retrieval and pastoral services. A Cabinet decision confirming the arrangement was only reached after the general election, last June, and followed sharp criticism from the Opposition parties.
Organisations representing individuals who were traumatised by their experiences in residential institutions have been particularly critical of what they saw as the success of the religious in evading their financial responsibilities. They were also unhappy that no blame will be apportioned by the Residential Institutions Redress Board when it makes its financial awards to victims. And members of religious orders will not have to face prosecution.
Questions on the special deal with CORI and the extent of the Exchequer's financial exposure, in the light of yesterday's High Court settlement, will be raised within the Dáil Committee of Finance and the Public Service. As the possible cost escalates, the public is entitled to full disclosure.