The Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, has insisted he will seek a cash payment from religious orders if he determines that they will not provide acceptable property for the compensation fund for abuse victims.
This is despite the terms of the church-State deal on the compensation fund, which does not appear to offer any legal mechanism for the State to demand cash if it finds the property offered unacceptable.
After announcing the State's rejection of €10 million worth of property which it considers to be unsuitable, Mr Dempsey maintained yesterday he would demand cash from the religious congregations if they were unable meet their obligations.
He adopted this robust stance as the Labour Party leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, suggested "that there are forces at work whose predominant motives are the concealment of the truth and the protection of our institutional interests rather than the vindication of the rights of those who have suffered so much".