TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen last night called on the religious orders involved in the child abuse scandal to provide a substantial additional contribution for the victims.
Speaking after a two-hour Cabinet meeting to discuss the recommendations in the report of the Ryan commission, Mr Cowen said that it had found a much more systematic volume of abuse in institutions than was previously known or accepted by the orders.
“The Government has, therefore, decided to call on the relevant congregations to provide a substantial additional contribution in view of the moral responsibility they continue to hold in these matters,” he said.
Mr Cowen pointed out that the Christian Brothers had indicated their willingness to commit additional resources in reparation for abuses of the past and to consult the Government and other stakeholders to see how that can be achieved.
“I believe the other individual congregations involved should now also articulate their willingness to make a further substantial voluntary contribution.” he said.
The Taoiseach added that the Government intended to meet the representatives of the congregations to discuss a number of issues, including the making of further contributions, and the mechanism by which this will be done. This would include the establishment of a trust which would be available to support education and welfare projects.
Mr Cowen also said that the discussions would also centre on how the public will be able to assess the significant of these contributions by reference to the resources available to the congregations.
“It is deeply shameful for all Irish people that this has happened in our country and that for so long it was not confronted. The failure of society in the treatment of children is laid bare in this report and it is horrendous. These children were placed in institutions by the State and the State had a duty of care to them. These victims were betrayed by the State and we must ensure that this can never, ever, happen again.
“Those orders whose members committed the abuse must also face their moral responsibilities,” said Mr Cowen. He said that those accountable for such crimes, no matter how long ago, must face the full rigours of the law. Mr Cowen added that the Government accepted all the recommendations of the Ryan report.
“In particular the Government accepts the recommendation that we admit that abuse of children occurred because of failures of systems and policy of management and administration, and of senior personnel who were concerned with industrial and reformatory schools.”
Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley said he was pleased all the commission’s recommendations were being endorsed by the Government.
“I was saddened by the tardy and grudging nature of religious orders’ responses over the last week,” he added. “A more generous and realistic response from the religious orders would help generate additional funding to meet other practical and very necessary responses.”
Earlier in the Dáil, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny called for all-party unity on this matter and said they should all agree on the moral responsibility of religious institutions to make a greater contribution.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said the 2002 indemnity deal should be revisited with a real and meaningful contribution made by the religious orders.
Catholic primate Cardinal Seán Brady welcomed the statement from the Christian Brothers’ congregation promising to commit “substantial resources” to former residents of institutions managed by them, and to present and future generations of their children”.
In their statement, the Brothers said that “as a congregation we recognise and accept our culpability along with our moral obligation to former residents, to present and future generations of children and to society as a whole”.
They said that “in consultation with former residents and other stakeholders they would review how our resources can best be applied in reparation for abuses of the past and as an investment in child education and welfare for present and future generations”.