Irish bishops have launched a review of a central clerical abuse compensation fund that is almost depleted following a steep rise in the cost of claims that have reached €5 million in the last two years alone, write Patsy McGarry and Liam Reid
Following a three-day meeting in Maynooth, the bishops released national figures on abuse payments for the first time.
The figures show that since 1996 the Stewardship Trust has contributed to compensation settlements for 143 people in relation to abuse by 36 priests, amounting to €8.77 million. That figure includes €2.53 million in legal costs.
These figures relate only to diocesan priests and do not include religious orders.
The figures show that the majority of payments had been made in the last two years - €1.9 million in 2003 and €2.9 million last year.
They also show that in the last two years, Ireland's 26 dioceses have contributed €6.3 million to the central fund, although it is believed that dioceses will have to raise up to €25 million over the next five years to meet the expected central compensation costs.
The figures were released in a statement at the end of the spring meeting of the Irish Episcopal Conference. The statement disclosed that €6.24 million was paid to abuse victims, while related legal costs amounted to an additional €2.53 million.
In their statement the bishops said they had decided to begin a process of consultation in their dioceses on the future of the fund.
The consultation followed a major controversy involving the Bishop of Derry, Dr Séamus Hegarty, who was forced to withdraw a 3 per cent levy on parishes to finance his diocese's contribution to the fund.
The Stewardship Trust was established in 1996 using the total €10.6 million settlement with the Church and General insurance firm.Between 1987 and 1990 most of the 26 dioceses had insured themselves with Church and General against such claims. The trustees of the Stewardship Trust are the four archbishops.
To date €10.8 million has been spent by the fund, including almost €600,000 on the bishops' child protection office and a further €597,592 on legal advice to the bishops.
The accounts from the bishops show that a Royal College of Surgeons' report on abuse in 2003 cost €228,473, while €38,000 was spent on a research grant.
The Lynott Working Group, which drew up child protection guidelines for the church, cost approximately €242,889.
The Hussey Commission, defunct since November 2002, cost €306,000, while legal advice to the episcopal conference cost €597,592.
Last night, victims' representatives welcomed the statement.
"This type of transparent disclosure is a good departure," said Colm O'Gorman of One in Four.
"But I think they need to go further. I would like to know what happened to all of the cases, and were they referred by each diocese to the gardaí."
He also questioned the financing of child protection measures, which he believed should be financed from central funds, from the same source used to pay abuse compensation.