IRELAND
Irish Independent
Sarah Murphy
THE Diocese of Ferns is facing a compensation bill of €5m in the coming year due to ongoing clerical sex abuse claims, the Irish Independent has learned.
It was revealed at the closed Annual General meeting of the diocese's finance committee in Enniscorthy last night that their compensation bill has risen by 50pc on last year's settlements, which totalled €2.8m in 17 cases.
The Church is currently in active negotiations with the Department of Education over the sale of St Peter's seminary in Wexford town, which is currently being used by Carlow Institute of Technology as an outreach centre.
The sale of the Bishop's Palace, which is conservatively estimated to be worth between €1m and €2m, is also now a distinct possibility.
The 19th century Bishop's Palace at Summerhillpalace was bought by the diocese from the Devereauxs, a prominent sea merchant family,in the latter half of the 1800s as it was believed at the time to give the best views of Wexford Harbour. Four bishops have lived there.