THE GOVERNMENT was facing renewed pressure last night from the two main Opposition parties to reopen the 2002 agreement which capped at €127 million the contribution of religious orders to the State compensation scheme for victims of abuse.
It came as the Conference of Religious in Ireland (Cori), which negotiated the controversial deal on behalf of 18 congregations, last night said that none of the orders planned to revisit the deal. A spokesman for the umbrella body which represents over 80 religious congregations on the island of Ireland, said last night that “as far as we are aware none of the congregations concerned plan to revisit the terms of the agreement made in good faith’’.
Fine Gael and the Labour Party separately said yesterday that it was incumbent on the State to ensure the religious congregations pay more. The overall cost of the scheme is expected to surpass €1.3 billion, ten times the contribution made by the religious orders.
The former leader of the Labour Party Pat Rabbitte said that if his party was returned to government it would do everything in its power to “probe the validity” of the deal.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that if he were to become taoiseach he would examine the possibility of reopening negotiations. “In my view, the contribution from the religious congregations should have been a far greater percentage. “The original indication from the Department of Finance was that it should be 50-50 but clearly this is not what happened,” said Mr Kenny.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen yesterday emphasised the “contingent liability” of the State to the victims. However, Minister for the Environment and Green Party leader John Gormley voiced concern about the proportionality of the deal, saying there was a case for the orders to make a greater contribution. “I believe that there is a moral responsibility on the church authorities to live up now to their Christian values and to lead by example.
“I think the case is overwhelming in relation to this. I think at this stage we need to get around the legal niceties and there is a moral responsibility,” said Mr Gormley.
Mr Rabbitte, speaking to RTÉ yesterday, sharply attacked the role played by the former minister for education Michael Woods in reaching the agreement. “It was a stroke in the worst meaning of that term in Irish politics,” he said. “Michael Woods was sent out by Bertie Ahern in his last day in office to conclude this deal with the religious congregations.
“He made a deal that capped their costs at €127 million. He excluded the attorney general. He excluded the professional staff in the AG’s office. He did no memorandum to cabinet as is required by cabinet procedures. No memorandum was distributed to other ministers as is required,” he said.
However, in the course of several interviews yesterday, Dr Woods defended the deal which he described as “magnanimous” and denied it was agreed on the eve of his resignation. He said the agreement had been reached in principle some five months earlier. “The deal was the best deal available to the State without having to go through prolonged court proceedings. The State was not prepared to bring the victims in before the court.”
Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern also said he did not regret the deal that was made. Mr Ahern told TV3 that the setting up of the commission was one of his proudest achievements as taoiseach.