Religious orders have agreed to pay €128 million towards a compensation scheme for people who suffered physical and sexual abuse in institutions as children, it was announced this evening.
The Government-backed package has been agreed after discussions between ministers and the orders involved in sex and other forms of abuse allegations and subsequent courtroom proceedings, which have been going on for more than 10 years.
Announcing the move, the Minister for Education, Mr Michael Woods said the terms of the agreement - which also involved €10 million to be spent on counselling services - would allow "all relevant parts of Irish society to make a meaningful redress for past wrongs" through which children had been injured over the years.
The payments will date back to the point when the Taoiseach Mr Bertie Ahern issued a formal apology to the victims on behalf of the State in 1999.
Since 2000, a judicial commission has been inquiring into child abuse in care institutions dating back to 1940. The institutions were funded by the state but run by staff from religious orders.
In most of the cases, those accused have been members of religious orders, and more than 3,000 people have applied - from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and continental European countries, as well as Britain and Ireland - to present evidence to the commission.
In a statement tonight, Sister Elizabeth Maxwell, of the Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI), representing 18 separate orders, said: "We accept that some children managed by our members suffered deprivation and physical and sexual abuse . . . We regret that."
Sister Maxwell also said while the compensation would never take away the pain experienced by the victims, it was an expression of their "desire to foster healing and reconciliation".
The contribution from the religious orders will include a cash donation to the Government package of €38 million and property transfers to the state amounting to €80 million.
Some of the victims said, however, they regarded the amount being made available by the orders as "paltry."
Mr John Kelly, of the Survivors of Child Abuse organisation, said: "The taxpayer should not pick up the bill for abuse committed by members of the religious orders."
The terms of the deal worked out with the religious orders, the Government has agreed to indemnify the orders against possible future legal action. And those accepting awards from the scheme will have to agreed to drop existing legal actions and agree not to pursue others.
Bishop Eamonn Walsh, of the Catholic Bishops' Child Protection Committee, said: "I think the religious orders have been extremely generous in the way that they have responded . . . This is putting their money where their mouth is, and I think they should be congratulated. It must have put extreme strain on their resources."
PA