The God Squad

PATSY McGARRY, Religious Affairs Correspondent

ANOTHER DEADLINE has been missed by religious congregations in presenting a report on their financial position to Government, as agreed by them following publication of the Ryan report last May.

Neither the Government nor all 18 of the religious congregations which managed institutions named in the report have met the mid-July deadlines they themselves set last month concerning reports on the financial position of the congregations. Though some congregations have presented such reports, others have missed a second agreed deadline.

At a meeting with the Taoiseach and senior members of the Cabinet on June 5th last, representatives of the 18 congregations which were party to the controversial 2002 redress agreement with the State, agreed that an independent report on their financial position would be presented to Government on June 24th.

They also agreed at that June 5th meeting to contribute to a trust the Taoiseach proposed be set up, so that further financial and other supports could be provided to people who, as children, had been in institutions they managed.

The congregations further committed themselves to identifying resources, “both financial and other, within a transparent process with a view to delivering upon commitments made today”.

However some of the larger congregations missed the June 24th deadline for presentation of details of their financial position and requested that they be allowed until September to do so.

They were given until mid-July and accepted that deadline which they have now missed also.

Following that June 24th meeting between representatives of the congregations, the Taoiseach and members of the Cabinet, a statement was issued by the Government stating that the congregations were expected to have submitted reports, “signed off by their financial advisers”, to Government “by mid-July when a further meeting will be held.”

It was also stated then that the Government would now move “to appoint a panel of three eminent independent persons to assess the material submitted by the congregations and report to Government as to the adequacy of these statements as a basis for assessing the resources of the congregations”.

Despite the passing of the mid-July deadline a week ago, some congregations have yet to submit a report on their financial position to Government; no further meeting between Government and the congregations is currently being planned; and the Government has yet to appoint the three person panel it promised to independently assess financial reports from the congregations.

A Government spokesman yesterday would only say that “dialogue [with the congregations] was ongoing” and “a process was working through”. It now seems unlikely that further progress will be made in any of these matters before September.

The Government is to announce its plans for implementation of the Ryan report recommendations at a press conference in Dublin on Tuesday. All 20 recommendations have been accepted by the Cabinet, including a memorial to victims of abuse in institutions which should bear the words of the apology made by the then taoiseach Bertie Ahern in 1999 and that the State should admit its failures and take steps to avoid a repetition.

It also recommended that religious congregations examine how their ideals became debased by systemic abuse and advised that more counselling, education and family tracing services should be provided. It said that childcare policy should be child-centred with the development of a national childcare policy, with rules and regulations enforced, breaches reported and sanctions applied.

It called for proper supervision and inspections, including unannounced inspections, objective national standards and follow-up of complaints. It said full personal records of children in care must be maintained and called for the Children First guidelines on child protection to be uniformly and consistently implemented throughout the State.

The Irish Times 25th July 2009