Diocese paid ??m to just two victims of sex abuse

Another View of the same payment

Wednesday December 22nd 2004

TWO victims of clerical sex abuse were paid ?265,000 in compensation by the Catholic diocese of Killaloe last year, it has been revealed.

The payouts, which average ?132,500 each, compare with an average payout to date of ?92,105 by the Dublin archdiocese, including costs, and ?164,705 by the Ferns diocese, also including costs.

The great bulk of the payments by the Killaloe diocese, or ?252,000, came from the Bishops' Stewardship Trust, which was set up by the hierarchy from insurance funds to help individual diocese compensate abuse victims.

Presenting the annual diocesan accounts, Bishop Willie Walsh of Killaloe said: "Over the past years our Church has been darkened by the revelation of the tragedy of serious abuse by a very small number of clergy. It is important that we try to understand and help the victims of such abuse towards healing. The diocese of Killaloe has and will continue to play its role in trying to heal the hurt and wounds of abuse."

He said that some victims had sought his assistance "in journeying towards that place of healing" and he had made finance available towards counselling.

"In 2003, the finance committee of the diocese approved special financial payments to two victims of abuse. These payments were funded principally from the Stewardship Trust set up by the Irish Episcopal Conference and the balance came from part of the proceeds raised by sale of land at Bishop's House in 2001."

The Ferns diocese remains the hardest hit by the clerical sex abuse scandals relative to its size. To date, it has paid out almost ?2.8m to 17 abuse victims, including costs.

The Dublin diocese, which is 10 times larger than Ferns, has paid out ?3.5m to 38 victims. Some ?1m of this was to cover legal costs.

The Killaloe accounts also reveal that the diocese has moved into surplus for the first time in four years. In 2003 it achieved an operating surplus of ?21,234.

The accounts also show an increase of 20pc in parish contributions to the diocese, up from ?220,340 in 2002 to ?265,520 in 2003.

Other dioceses have also reported an increase in parish contributions over the past year, despite the apparent continuing decline in Mass attendance.

Provisional figures from the Dublin diocese show that the Share collection, which is the second collection each Sunday, is up by roughly 4pc in 2004 compared with 2003.

It amounted to approximately ?6.5m in the year to June 30, 2004 compared with ?6.25m in the 12 months to June 30 2003.

Other dioceses report similar increases. Bishop Jim Moriarty told the Irish Independent that the collection for his diocese of Kildare and Leighlin was up 4pc in 2003, the latest figures available, compared with 2002.

Ferns diocese recorded a rise of about 1.5pc, which came about despite the adverse publicity the diocese attracted due to the State inquiry into clerical sex abuse.

David Quinn
and Gordon Deegan

? Irish Independent
http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/ & http://www.unison.ie/