GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS MEETING:TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen last night promised groups representing victims of child abuse in institutions run by religious orders that those congregations would make "substantial" additional contributions by way of reparation.
Mr Cowen and four Government Ministers met some eight groups representing victims of child abuse for almost three hours at Government Buildings last night to discuss the outcome of the Ryan report into child abuse in institutions run by Church orders.
As they emerged from the meeting, the representatives said that good and positive progress had been made during the meeting, though some fundamental issues required clarification.
No firm indication was given to the groups as to the contribution the Government will seek from religious congregations and if it will be in the region of 50 per cent of the overall costs. Leading church and political figures, including Government Chief Whip Pat Carey, have suggested the orders should contribute 50 per cent of the costs.
John Kelly, a spokesman for the victims, also said that no clarification was given as to whether the additional money will go to the exchequer or to victims’ groups. Mr Kelly said that the eight groups had expressed their view to Mr Cowen that the additional monies should not go to the exchequer.
He said that they also argued for the prosecution of abusers as well as removing the criminal record from all children who resided in the institutions.
The Taoiseach will meet the religious orders today to discuss their response to the Ryan report and to widespread criticism of the deal, in which the contributions from the 18 orders involved in running the institutions was capped at €127 million.
Speaking after the meeting, abuse victim Michael O’Brien said that there was an onus on everbody to get it right for once and for all.
“If we save only one child from abuse again we have done our job. We never want to see abuse like what was carried on in these hellholes ever again in this country,” said Mr O’Brien, the former mayor of Clonmel who made an impassioned criticism of the political establishment when talking about the abuse he suffered in Cappoquin on Questions and Answers last week.
Christine Buckley, who suffered abuse in the Goldenbridge orphanage, said it was wonderful to see a united front from the victims at the meting.
“All of our issues were very much the same. We had issues in relation to the paltry amounts by the redress board, the comparative studies done, the abuse that victims had suffered, why the board should never have been established,” she said.
A Government statement said last night that Mr Cowen had stressed that those who perpetrated child sex abuse crimes, no matter how long ago, must be made amenable to the law so that they can be held to account for such crimes.
Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe, Minister for Health Mary Harney, Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern, and Minister for Children Barry Andrews also represented the Government at the meeting.
Earlier Mr Cowen said that it was the beginning of a process of engagement with victims. Mr Cowen told victims he was “very glad” to convey directly and personally his sincere apology, on behalf of the Government, the State and all its citizens “for the failure to intervene, to detect your pain or to come to your rescue”.
He added: “I am deeply conscious that while the events inquired into by the commission occurred, for the most part, many years ago, their consequences continue and live on in the burdens which you carry, day by day.
“For that reason, the needs of survivors of abuse are our particular priority at this time,” he said.
