Fr Healy says orders should reconsider redress deal
A leading figure in the Conference of Religious in Ireland has said the religious orders involved in the abuse of children must be prepared to consider giving more money to the Government's redress scheme.
The 18 orders agreed to hand over €128m in cash and property in 2002 in exchange for indemnity from compensation claims.
However, this will only cover around 10% of the estimated €1.3bn cost of the redress scheme.
The religious orders have been coming under increasing pressure this week to give more to the scheme, but they have so far either ruled out the move or failed to make any concrete commitment.
Addressing the Oireachtas Social Affairs Committee today, the director of CORI's justice commission, Fr Sean Healy, said all options must be on the agenda when the orders hold talks on the matter with the Government.
He said this would include "a further, much larger contribution to meet the bill for redress and to assist the victims".
The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, meanwhile, told the Dáil that he would wait until after those talks before making any judgements about how the orders should respond to the findings of the Child Abuse Commission.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said victims should be included in those talks.
