Sir, - Is there not a case for requiring the Irish Catholic Church authorities to set aside a sum of money adequate to cover the cost of damages to, and treatment of, the growing number of those who have suffered abuse while in the charge or care of certain of its clergy or religious? These victims of such repulsive behaviour bear, and will continue to suffer, the traumas and nightmares of their youth. Some, tragically, have put themselves beyond the possibility of help from anybody.
The steady decline in the number of priests and members of religious orders results in the closure of convents, schools and seminaries. Such properties are of immense commercial value today. There is little foreseeable likelihood of their ever being re-used for their original purposes. Indeed, in the case of certain orphanages and industrial schools, there are compelling reasons to expunge them from the landscape, if not from public memory.
The Catholic Church authorities have hitherto shown a conspicuous reluctance to accept a proper level of responsibility to make good - insofar as this is possible - the hurt and scarring caused by certain of their ministers and members of orders.
Recent commercial sales of unrequired ecclesiastical buildings and grounds have realised very great sums of money. As all church property derives ab initio from the pennies of the people, is it not time that such wealth should now be directed toward the aid, recompense and comfort of those victims of the vileness of certain members of this very organisation - and, if this be not readily agreed to, that a legal directive be sought to freeze or sequestrate sufficient monies as may be deemed adequate to cover such liabilities? Mere expressions of apology and offers of counselling helplines alone fall very little short of insult to those unfortunates whose lives have been blighted by such horrors. - Yours, etc., David Grant,
Mount Pleasant, Waterford.