INCOME AT many Catholic parishes around the State has dropped by up to 15 per cent in the last few years.
Following revelations that the Archdiocese of Dublin is in financial difficulty, the archdioceses of Cashel, Armagh and Tuam have said they have also experienced drops in their income.
A consultation document from the Archdiocese of Dublin’s advisory body, the Council of Priests, revealed earlier this week, looked at fundraising and cost-saving measures to tackle the crisis. It said many parishes were in a precarious position, “close even to a state of financial collapse”.
A fall in lay contributions and the depletion of reserves due to some €13 million in abuse payouts were the reasons it gave for the financial problems.
Yesterday, three archdioceses acknowledged there had been a drop in income that was putting them under financial pressure.
Both Tuam and Dublin said income had dropped by up to 15 per cent in the last few years.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Tuam said the audited accounts from the various parishes in the archdiocese showed the drop. “Some parishes recorded more, others less than these figures,” the statement said.
The drop was attributed mainly to the effects of the economic recession.
“A slight decline in Mass attendance has been noted in some parishes and the continuing negative publicity in relation to child safeguarding issues may also be a contributing factor,” it said.
Every effort was being made to cut back, and finance committees at parish and diocesan level were working on ways to ensure services were continued and maintained on tighter budgets, it added.
The statement also said the salaries of priests in the archdiocese, who earn €1,760 per month, before tax, had not increased since 2008.
Yesterday, the Archdiocese of Dublin said it had also experienced a drop in income of about 15 per cent.
It said that, like most people and organisations in the current economic climate, it was faced with declining financial resources.
“The archdiocese has to face the current serious economic reality and review what it can and cannot support financially in the coming years,” the statement said.
“It is preparing measures to address that situation based on an analysis of pastoral needs and funding requirements into the future.”
It said the document prepared by the Council of Priests was a response to the financial review and was a “discussion document” prepared for a meeting which had yet to take place, involving proposals and suggestions which have yet to be discussed.
A spokesman for the Archdiocese of Cashel said: “There has been a slight drop in the level of contributions in the archdiocese, but we are meeting all of our commitments.”
In a statement last night, the Archdiocese of Armagh said it was also experiencing a decline in its financial returns mainly from a combination of the recession, the abuse scandals, a decline in numbers supporting the church, and lower financial returns on investments.
It said it was committed to “prudent financial management and always strives to stay within its budget”.
It also said there were no plans to cut pay to its clergy.
