March 22, 2005

Catholics' EUR26.5m bill for abuse fund

IRELAND
One in Four

Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent - Irish Times

Ireland's 4.088 million Catholics are set to pay €26.5 million over five years as a result of clerical child sex abuse in the island's 26 dioceses.

The figure amounts to €6.25 for every Catholic man, woman and child on the island and is extrapolated from financial details released by eight of the dioceses to date.

It follows a decision in 2003 by the Catholic bishops to levy every diocese, according to its Catholic population, an amount payable to their central fund for dealing with all matters arising from such abuse.

Posted by kshaw at March 22, 2005 08:19 AM