IRELAND
Irish Independent
Kathy Donaghy
THE high-powered Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is set to re-examine the controversial Church/State deal to cover compensation claims by victims of abuse in residential institutions.Committee Chairman Michael Noonan told the Irish Independent the deal would have to be looked at again in the context of the final bill being in the region of €1.3bn - twice what the Department of Education said it would cost.
The Government agreed a €128m deal with the religious institutions in 2002 to cover the payouts to abuse victims.
Mr Noonan pointed out that when the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) John Purcell said it was going to cost as much as €1bn, he was heavily criticised.
"It lookes as if it's going to exceed that now and reach €1.3bn," said the Limerick East Fine Gael TD for Limerick east. "I think we need to get back into that issue.
Posted by kshaw at January 4, 2006 09:48 AM