By John Walshe

Wednesday November 25 2009

THE Christian Brothers are handing over €161m in cash and property in the wake of devastating Ryan report on child abuse.

The congregation said in a statement that €34m in cash will be used directly to help victims of child abuse.

The transfer of €127m in property assets will be be used to “begin to repair trust with so many people in Ireland who felt betrayed by the brothers”.

“Our response reflects the moral obligation we collectively and individually feel,” they declared.

The move by the Christian Brothers comes as the Catholic Church is set to be rocked by another damning report on sex abuse — this time by priests in the Dublin archdiocese.

The interim report of the Commission of Investigation into clerical sexual abuse in the archdiocese of Dublin was discussed by the Cabinet and is expected to be published tomorrow. That damning report finds the Catholic hierarchy and state authorities failed to respond to allegations of clerical child abuse made against a sample of 46 priests.

Last night, in a statement posted on their website, the Christian Brothers said they were shamed and sorrowed at the extent of abuse of children in their care. Other congregations are expected to release details of their assets today.

The 18 congregations involved had agreed to reveal details of their assets following publication of the Ryan report in May.

Politicians and the public demanded that they pay more compensation than the €128m figure agreed with former Education Minister Michael Woods as the cost to the State was estimated at a massive €1.3bn.

The Christian Brothers, previously the country’s largest male teaching order, came in for scathing criticism in the report. For instance, the Ryan Commission said that in St Joseph’s industrial school, Artane, in Dublin, corporal punishment was pervasive. Brothers used a variety of weapons and devised methods of increasing suffering when inflicting punishment and, in some cases, they were cruel and even sadistic.

Punishment

In Letterfrack, Co Galway, it was impossible to avoid punishment because it was frequently capricious, unfair and inconsistent. In cases of sexual abuse in Letterfrack, the interests of the congregation and an abusing brother were put ahead of the welfare of the boys.

After the report was published, the Christian Brothers were the first to accept that they needed to pay more than the €30m they had already paid since 1996.

In their statement last night, they said they proposed to:

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Make a donation of €30m to an independent trust established by the Government to respond to the direct educational, welfare and medical needs of former residents.
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Contribute €4m over the next five years to support counsellor and therapeutic services such as Faoiseamh.
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Transfer €127m worth of playing fields and lands to a separate independent trust.

“Our fervent hope is that the initiatives proposed will assist in the provision of support services to former residents of the institutions as well as the facilities, resources and scope to protect, cherish and educate present and future generations of children,” they said on their website www.christianbrothers.eu, which also gives details of their assets and liabilities.

It shows assets at the end of June of €240.9m — this includes €51.7m in investment assets and €10m in bank accounts.

It is proposed to transfer 67pc of this total into independent trusts. The remain 23pc of their assets are accounted for by liabilities (€8.1m); continuation of services such as teacher education in Marino College, Dublin, (€29.7m) and the living, welfare and care of members (€22.9m). There are 250 brothers in the country with an average of 74 years — only 62 are under 65 years of age. Many of them need healthcare.

The latest proposed transfer follows last year’s handing over of schools and associated properties by the brothers to the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (ERST), an independent body. The transfer value, inclusive of funding and establishment costs, was €435m. The Christian Brothers added: “We understand and regret that nothing we say or do can turn back the clock for those affected by abuse”.

– John Walshe

Irish Independent

 

21 Responses to “‘Shamed’ brothers handover €161m Funds to aid victims of abuse”

  1. Godfrey Nash says:

    Dear John, thanks for all the info on Christian Brother abuse. I went to a Christian Brothers school St Vincent’s in Glasnevin 11 Dublin, most of us had a very very bad, sad,time, even now it still hurts, the Christian Brothers broke our little hearts in two. Iwalked away from being a Roman Catholic. J.C. is love, not pain or judgement, our minds are made in beauty, I now give love out to all in this great world.

    Blessings Godfrey

  2. Hanora Brennan says:

    Barry, you have such eloquence and terrific prose and composition. Now, was this nature or nurture?

    On a more serious note, we have to be banging on doors and rattling the door handles of these elected reps in the Dáil and let them know how we at grass root level are actually feeling. We cannot protect them in any way. We have to out the Leaders for what they truly are. Let us strike and mobilise as soon as possible

  3. barry clifford says:

    I hope I have not caused offence
    Barry

  4. barry clifford says:

    HERE WE GO AGAIN

    This has been an interesting week in regard to my call to fight on your website Paddy, and the response and feedback has been more than positive. I am saddened though to know that so many of us out there feel they have been let down on every level with regards to justice that carries with it a feeling of betrayal from inside their own tents. This is no accident but design that preys on the most basic of all emotions, weakness. It was born along side the birth of the so called ‘redress board’
    In other to minimize victims compensation and truth itself several models were used to divide and conquer and most of them worked. The first one was the scale used to assess damages. The higher the pain the greater the claim as long as it was proved. This of course meant that you had literally to grovel, beg, and foam at the mouth while limping like a performing seal to get attention in that boardroom. There was no room at the inn if you were the strong silent type, or a touch proud with it, and the indignities did not stop there.
    Then had us elect our own from these wretched institutions and many applied for the job to keep us informed of what was going on. The reality was different and it only takes one to bring down the house. They were keeping the government informed as well. Feted like new found celebrities these Kapos enjoyed the perks and many were applied for and happily given. This was for travel, hotel, pocket money, {a lot of it} dining out, and all carried five star ratings. It would get better. One of our fine reps even had a property to which he received rent from the government for rooms in which we could play tin-whistles and the like and an expense account. The fact that this compromised his position was not noticed by him or related to his moral or legal understanding of the law. The money just kept rolling in as it still does. Then there is the story of cork men by birth or by accident.
    This one has already hit the headlines with no help from me and it concerns a little man called Noel Barry, a mirror image of many of the reps. This pantomine is playing friendly with the media for the moment and for the present I will enjoy the show. These are the same people that represent you now.
    There is more, a lot more and I write with controlled anger in giving the reader a mere hint of what is to come. You will be disappointed of that I am sure but it again will be tempered with more information about their many handlers, for without them it could not have happened. It has a light at the end of the tunnel but it needs you to help show the way.
    I thank all for the valuable information I have received in recent days that carried with it the burden of proof and cannot accept anything less. Keep it coming . For others who have information, it will carry the stamp of confidentiality until you say otherwise.
    There is plenty of room at this inn for this is the restroom before the fight.
    Barry Clifford
    0877511113
    bgclifford@iol.ie
    Thank you again Paddy.

  5. Anne says:

    Charles, thankyou so much for your lovely comment!
    It’s so nice to know that people care and not just anyone, but survivors of child abuse.

    Kind Regards

    Anne

  6. barry clifford says:

    Anne,
    I shall be happy be very happy to join you in battle and with anyone else that wishes to step up to the plate. I have sat on the sidelines too long hoping that that others might represent us honestly only to find out that they have been silent when they should have shouted the loudest. I shall not be found wanting this time around. Like you, I cannot express enough the courage that Paddy has shown in his life and because of it he inspires me. I look forward to hearing from you and I can also be contacted by phone at: 091868791 or 08775111i3

  7. Charles O'Rourke says:

    Anne, if it were in my power that house would be yours today and you would not feel the stress of debt and medical bills. You and your children would live a secure life and find joy and harmony. This is my wish for you and yours.

  8. Paddy says:

    That’s a very kind comment and I thank you for it. Paddy.

  9. Charles O'Rourke says:

    Paddy, I would also like to pay my respects to you and your work. Never has the weak had a champion so strong. Your integrity shines through and your not for sale. These are rare qualities in these times. The Irish Christian Brothers are lacking in every human quality that makes a human human. The Roman Church knows this and I’m sure they wish you would quietly go into the night, in silence.

  10. Paddy says:

    Thanks for the very kind comment Anne, I appreciate it. Best wishes. Paddy.

  11. Charles O'Rourke says:

    Paddy, So the mockery of survivors continues and before the Christian brothers vanish from the land forever they throw a few bones to the people they have ravished. Their age profile tells us that soon they will be gone and that what awaits them according to their beliefs is heaven along side their founder Edmund rice. Well I have news for them. When Br Garvey sitting at the counting table in his palace some windy night hears a knock on the door and there with raised finger beckoning him and all his followers to come forward will be a dark angel from the furnace so vividly used to threaten the children of Ireland and its people. No amount of money will buy you a ticket in the other direction, they don,t do money in hell.There you can share accommodation with your brothers and revell in past glories from the Irish Gulags when you ruled the roost. There you can compare notes with Pol Pot, and Hitler, Stalin is quite entertaining but Beira is a bit of a bore. Believe me you will all feel at home and have no problem with adjusting.

  12. Anne says:

    Barry, You couldn’t have put it any better!
    I totally agree with everything you say and I want you to know that I would gladly join you with anything you put together/organise.

    I wrote personally to Mary McAleese in summer and received a letter back which gave me hope at the time. Unfortunately I have not received anything back since and she had promised to give my letter to Brian Cowen for “actioning” I have never received any replies and also none from the Archbishop of Ireland. That hurts. It hurts because there is no one who can help and these so called survivor groups do nothing.

    Isn’t it sad that in our twilight years we are still fighting for justice. How cruel,to be unfairly punished and there is still not many who really want to open there hearts and truly help us in the way many of us need help.

    I shall mail you soon Barry.

    Paddy,I just wanted to thank you publicly for all you do because the work you do keeping everyone informed is priceless. I look forward to looking at your site every week.
    May God always keep you strong. Your a true fighter,and one of the special ones.

    Take care,

    Anne

  13. Personal Opinion
    It would give pleasure to many to see the CB’s forcibly disbanded, assests confiscated and special powers introduced to encourage cooperation by CB’s in prosecutions against the remaining living offenders.

    By special powers I mean powers similar to those available to deal with terrorism. The confiscation of assets should be controlled not by the Irish state but by an external secular organisation from an English speaking country.

    Trusts can be formed such that they are ‘closely held’ for example in the Isle of Mann i.e. nobody can ascertain the true trustees list and therefore nobody can find out who controls the property. This may be the case. However, back in 1922, the irish state confiscated the property of many it deemed to be undesirable owners and this went on through the land commission years so there is no shortage of power of this nature to confiscate.

    Yes, I’m probably dreaming and that’s why its titled personal opinion.

    Thanks for reading this. It may help to provoke some thought somewhere there is influence.

    RB

  14. barry clifford says:

    It will be another travesty of justice to let this so called offer of compensation by the Christian Brothers be accepted by any victim of institutional abuse or any representative body of them unless it has passed by a majority vote by each individual. I whole heartedly agree with all of the above letters and add voice to their frustrations. A transfer of assets from the Christian Brothers to the Edmund Rice schools trust !! Now does that sound like an independent trust to anybody? As far as as those other trusts go, it cannot possibly be worth even debating. They tried this in Canada and Australia and were never allowed to get away with it, so please, please, let us not let them get away with it here. I have already been warning victims about Batt O Keefe who is little more than a servant of these serpents with nine heads even before this smoke screen gesture that came on the eve of the Dublin Diocese report. He will not disappoint my predictions in what he will do with our imagined compensation. He will imagine he got it, the Christian Brother will pretend they gave it, and some survivor groups will actually tell their members this is as good as it gets just like they told us before the redress deal.
    Ladies and gentlemen, we have them on the ropes only this once and must act collectively and decisively to keep them there. Compensation, if any at all, is ours by any stretch of the imagination, and all trust funds, which should incorporate all of the assets of the Edmund Rice School Trust as well, is morally ours in every sense of the word. What we have to do is too make it legally as well which will prove to be an even greater challenge. In these hard economic times compensation is needed speedily and should allow for our own independent considerations if we want counseling or not, or indeed playing fields. This is about our pain and suffering and not the proffered sympathies and opinions of the Christian Brothers of what that is or where compensation should be made. Monetary value in itself will never be enough to heal the scars but it can go some way to heal our pain and there is still a lot of it, far more than the former.
    This is only the beginning of this fight and if anyone out there wants me to join them or they join me please contact me at: bgclifford@iol.ie

    Barry Clifford

  15. rob dempsey says:

    an answer please……an answer please…an answer please….from those who ‘were bought off….please….

  16. Charles O'Rourke says:

    Now Mr O’Keefe is the time to show you really are a government minister of the Irish Republic and refuse to accept that invitation to share a bed with these people. You know where that got the government before. Can you face them head on?, are you up to it?. Go on Batt, you owe it to the thousands of Irish children whose lives were ruined by these orders. Its now or never Batt.

  17. Anne says:

    Paddy, Charles, So many victims are struggling with debt and wriggled in crippling arthritis, spondolosis and all sorts! Living a miserable existence.

    I have been waiting for 2yrs on a council waiting list just for a home for my family, my son has brain damage my daughter has M.E. How on earth is this money going to help us?!?….I would be so grateful if anyone can fill me in on how this works because I am truly bewildered!

    I’m 62 Paddy, homeless and I need help yet there is no one who can help.
    11 years I worked in that convent and then was sent on a train to Dublin and was told to wait for the G.P and his wife to meet me there (I had never been out of the convent in all my years and hadn’t a clue where I was!)
    I was then told to look after 3 children aged 3-8 from 6in the morning till night. One day of a week,to go to “church” on a Sunday! I was that institutionalised I did not know I was allowed to leave!

    Anne

  18. Charles O'Rourke says:

    Paddy, they are indeed cunning and now for my next trick etc. So who owns the land?. Can it be sold?. No of course not. So who is this “donation” for? This should be rejected and demands made for a fixed sum.

  19. Anne says:

    Paddy, this money should go direct to all survivors. Never mind the counselling e.c.t I know it helps some people but many survivors we know of have never bothered and will take a lot to the grave.

    I’m bracing myself for the report when it is released. It’s truly horrific, disturbing and I will pray for us all.

    Take care

    Anne

  20. Charles O'Rourke says:

    Paddy, Is it not a case of the Irish Christian Brothers transferring land to a value of 127 million Euro’s to itself and using the government as a guarantor by calling it a trust?. In what way will this arrangement benefit survivors?, Are we to play football as a form of therapy?.

  21. Charles O'Rourke says:

    Paddy I think we will need help in analysing these figures. In what way will land locked into trusts help survivors from the industrial schools run by these brothers?. That leaves 30 million Euros and that’s not a lot given the thousands of former inmates. The government now owns land together with that trust and are unable to convert it into cash. Indeed they are land locked. then there is 4 million Euros in therapy and who provides that?. The Church?.