The Bishop of Cork and Ross has confirmed that the diocese has contributed around €500,000 since 2000 to the Bishops' Stewardship Trust which pays compensation to victims of clerical sex abuse.
Last year alone the Cork and Ross diocese paid over €265,000 to the trust.
At a private meeting with priests in Cork last Friday, Dr John Buckley also disclosed that since 1990 €560,000 had been paid out by the diocese for therapy and care for priests with health problems.
Diocesan communications spokesman Fr Tom Hayes said yesterday the money, roughly €40,000 a year, went towards the care of priests with general health problems as well as priests accused of sexual abuse.
He said Bishop Buckley's disclosures at last week's meeting were intended to initiate discussion in the diocese as to how money for the trust would be raised in the future. The bishop was also keen to emphasise that the money came predominantly from funds at his disposal for the care of priests. None came from church collections.
The trust was set up by Ireland's Catholic bishops in 1996 with €10.6 million they received in a deal with the Church and General Insurance company. Under the terms of the deal, the company was indemnified against all claims arising from clerical child sex abuse in Irish dioceses which occurred before 1996.
The trust was established to pay compensation arising from clerical child sexual abuse and for the pastoral care of victims.