Below are questions asked in the Oireachtas, relating to Caranua and other areas relevant to survivors

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board

Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the details of contracts he or his predecessors have received for ministerial approval from Caranua; and if in each case, it has been approved.

Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to contracts that Caranua has entered into that Caranua has not referred to him or his predecessors for approval.

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, is an independent statutory body established pursuant to the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012. Section 7(7) of that Act provides that the Board, as it considers necessary for the performance of its functions and with the approval of the Minister, may enter into contracts with persons and engage consultants or advisers under terms and conditions that the Board considers appropriate. Section 7(7) also provides that sums payable to persons, consultants or advisers shall be paid by the Board out of moneys at its disposal.  

Details of the contracts and consultancies, etc., approved under section 7(7) since the establishment of the organisation in 2013 are set out in the tabular statement that follows.

Consideration of the items listed in the tabular statement was undertaken following receipt of business cases from Caranua. Ministerial approval was not granted in respect of one request submitted by Caranua, the details of that case are included in the tabular statement.

I am not aware of any instances of contracts being entered into by Caranua without the knowledge and approval of my Department.

Approvals issued by the Minister for Education and Skills under section 7(7) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012

Note: Where the box for contractor/consultant is blank it signifies that approval in principle was given by the Minister for Education and Skills for Caranua to commence a procurement process for the particular service.

Requests for approvals refused by the Minister for Education and Skills under section 7(7) of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Act 2012

Residential Institutions Statutory Fund

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the Christian Brothers are to pay their outstanding debts to the redress scheme: if there is a requirement for them to pay in cash or if land transfers would be acceptable, particularly in cases in which doing so would safeguard a school and its facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the fact that the Christian Bothers intend to pay the full amount of their debt to the redress scheme at the expense of a school (details supplied) in County Dublin by selling off the school’s playing fields; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills the way in which the Christian Brothers are to pay their outstanding debts to the redress scheme; if there is a requirement for them to pay in cash or if land transfers would be acceptable, particularly in cases in which doing so would safeguard a school and its facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Education and Skills if an agreement was made by the Christian Brothers to ensure the use of the playing fields attached to a college (details supplied) would be used by the college and its pupils as long as it was in existence; if the Christian Brothers move to sell the playing fields to a property developer represents a breach of that agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education and Skills (Deputy Richard Bruton): I propose to take Questions Nos. 163 and 173 to 175, inclusive, together.

In the aftermath of the publication, in May 2009, of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (the “Ryan Report”) many of the religious congregations that managed institutions in which abuse took place offered additional voluntary contributions towards the cost of the State’s response to that abuse which is now expected to reach some €1.5 billion.

The response of the Congregation of Christian Brothers was to voluntarily offer an additional cash contribution of €30 million for the proposed fund for former residents, a contribution of €4 million for counselling and the transfer of its portfolio of 49 school playing fields and associated lands to a new independent trust involving the State and the Edmund Rice Schools Trust to which the playing fields are licensed.

The Government subsequently decided that the €4 million in counselling would not be reckoned as a contribution. The proposal to transfer the playing fields was the subject of discussion between the Congregation and previous ministers. Counter proposals were put to the Congregation regarding future ownership of the fields but these were not accepted. The Congregation has recently written to me indicating its willingness to engage further with my Department on how the transfer could proceed and be reckoned as a redress contribution.

To date the Congregation has paid €21.2 million of its pledged cash contribution and has indicated that it intends to pay the remaining €8.8 million either later this year or in 2018. Completion of this contribution is vitally important as it will help to ensure that Caranua, the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund, will have the full €110 million in cash contributions offered by the religious congregations available to it. This will enable Caranua to provide much needed supports to former residents who are in need of assistance.

I appreciate that the Christian Brothers wish to follow through on their commitments. It is however, a matter for the Congregation to make its own decisions in regard to how it will fund the remaining element of its pledged cash contribution and I have no role in that process.  It would, however, also be very disappointing if the educational needs of current and future generations of children were compromised in achieving this goal. I would hope that the Congregation takes this fully into account during their deliberations.  My Department is writing to the Congregation on the matter of the proposed sale of land adjacent to the school referred to by the Deputy, seeking clarification on a number of relevant matters including the current status of the proposed sale and whether consideration was given to future educational needs prior to the decision being taken to dispose of the land.

I am not privy to any agreement that may have been made between the Congregation of Christian Brothers, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust and the authorities of any particular school in regard to school playing fields. I should note also that there is no agreement in place between my Department and the Congregation in regard to the transfer of its playing fields and associated lands to any new ownership structure.