Order says it has no money

THE ROSMINIAN order, which managed industrial schools at Ferryhouse in Co Tipperary and at Upton, Co Cork, will not be making a contribution to the trust being set up at the Government’s request by 18 congregations which managed residential institutions for children investigated by the Ryan commission.

Rosminian provincial Fr Joe O’Reilly said last night the congregation had explained to the three-person panel set up to examine financial statements from the congregations that “we don’t have money. We never had money”.

He explained the congregation has total assets of €38.2 million, of which St Joseph’s School for the Visually Impaired in Dublin’s Drumcondra accounted for €30 million. The remainder of the congregation’s property was valued at €5.5 million, with a further €2.7 million in cash and investments. They had a debt of €4.5 million, due to be paid by next year. He said the government promised €35 million for redevelopment of St Joseph’s 10 years ago. It was never delivered.

Land around the school is valued at €20 million, which it was hoped could be sold to raise funds for redevelopment of the school. Even that was less than would be required. “The school is the only thing we can offer to the Government but how can we walk away from blind children?” Fr O’Reilly asked.

The congregation has five houses where members lived, including one retreat centre, which make up the €5.5 million in property it owned.

The congregation paid €12 million to the redress scheme set up as part of the 2002 indemnity agreement with the 18 congregations. As regards property overseas, he said full details of everything had been provided to the three-person panel.

On Monday last, Fr O’Reilly visited former mayor of Clonmel Michael O’Brien, who had been resident as a child at Ferryhouse, to inform him of the situation.

Speaking to The Irish Times, Mr O'Brien described the order's decision as "outrageous". He said the congregation was "trying to wash its hands of the whole lot". He would "be asking the church itself to make a contribution to the trust fund to put us in homes. We were in homes before and they didn't look after us".

He queried whether the congregation had transferred assets out of the country.

“They had plenty of time to get money out of the country since the Taoiseach called them in ,” he said.