Five dioceses have paid ?2m to victims

Saturday October 29th 2005

N excess of ?2m has been paid by five dioceses to 35 victims of child abuse in recent years, The Irish Independent has learned.

Killaloe diocese has confirmed that it has paid out ?500,000 to six people.

Kerry diocese has paid ?260,000 to three people, while the archdiocese of Cashel and Emly has paid one victim ?81,000 including legal costs.

The diocese of Ossory, which covers parts of Laois and Kilkenny paid ?370,000 to six people.

Raphoe, which mainly covers Donegal, has paid ?760,000 in respect of 19 allegations.

In addition, Raphoe has now released figures showing that 10 of its priests stretching back 40 years have been accused of child abuse.

Seven of the 10 have stood aside from ministry.

Two priests have been convicted, and one is awaiting trial. Four clerics were investigated by gardai but a prosecution did not result.

A statement from the diocese said: "One priest against whom an allegation of child sexual abuse has been made is still in ministry, but there are no reasonable suspicions such as would give rise to a child protection question."

PAYMENTS

The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, said yesterday that the money for the six victims had come from the proceeds of a ?1.5m land sale of six acres at the Westbourne residence in 2000.

He confirmed that ?70,000 has been paid this year, ?100,000 paid out in 2004, with ?265,000 paid out to two victims in 2003.

Dr Walsh said that if the need arises, the diocese would sell off other land to make any additional payments. He stressed that none of the money towards the payments has come from Sunday offerings at churches.

However, Bishop Walsh said that in future "if it happens that we have to use other money to make payments, full information will be made to the people and to the priests". The diocese of Ossory, headed by Bishop Laurence Forristal, said the six victims it has compensated involved complaints against four priests.

Another ?128,098 in legal costs must be added to the ?370,000 paid directly to the victims, making a total of ?498,098.

A statement from the diocese said that ?125,895 of the total has been paid by the diocese itself, and the balance has come from the Bishops' Stewardship Trust.

The Trust was established ten years ago as a common fund out of which compensation payments can be made.

The 26 dioceses are paying a total of ?5m per annum in it.

The Trust also funds the Bishops' child protection services as well as counselling for victims.

The Ossory diocese also provided more details on the number of its priests against whom allegations have been made.

It was five, and not four as reported yesterday.

Two of the five are deceased, one has retired and is out of ministry. One was convicted in the courts, and one is awaiting trial. None of the priests has been dismissed from ministry.

Meanwhile, two dioceses have not yet responded to questions from the Irish Independent concerning the number of their priests against whom allegations have been made.

A report in yesterday's paper outlined the number of priests accused in 23 out of the country's 26 dioceses. Elphin could not be contacted.

A spokesman for the archdiocese of Tuam said that the required information would be made public "shortly", probably on Sunday.

At least 72 civil actions against the Bishops are still pending, and at least 104 have so far been paid out.

David Quinn and
Gordon Deegan

? Irish Independent