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	Repentance, Reparation and Now Compensation By John Cooney Irish Independent November 25, 2009 http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/repentance-reparation-and-now-compensation-1952702.html IN water-flooded Ireland on the eve of a draconian Budget, it would be churlish not to welcome as a good news story the offer from the Christian Brothers to hand over €161m in cash and property to compensate victims of abuse in their former residential institutions. No doubt, accountants in the Department of Finance will scrutinise the details of the proposed package to assess if it meets the Government's demands for a substantial contribution from the present generation of a dwindling and ageing religious congregation. Last May, the Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, headed by Mr Justice Sean Ryan, devoted eight chapters to the Christian Brothers, the biggest provider of residential care for boys in the State. Staggeringly, more allegations of systematic physical, sexual and emotional abuse were levied against the Christian Brothers than all other male orders combined. Former inmates of Christian Brother institutions competed in voicing harrowing stories that gave broken flesh and spilled blood to episodes of abuse catalogued in the report under anonymous identities. But there was also huge anger at what they felt was a less-than-contrite apology from the Christian Brothers, mixed with outrage at the role played by the Brothers in negotiating, along with 17 other religious orders, an infamous indemnity deal with the then-Education Minister Michael Woods. That notorious deal, agreed without Dail scrutiny, committed the religious to transfer €128m in property assets to the Government, a sum now judged by taxpayers to be a pittance compared with the final expected bill to the State in excess of €1.3bn. Taoiseach Brian Cowen came under massive pressure to cajole the religious into paying a substantial extra contribution. A lot of that public anger was directed at the Christian Brothers who over generations were revered as the flagship of the Irish education system. But many of their members departed from the beneficent spirit of their founder, Ignatius Rice, and masqueraded as satanic brutes lustful of only child flesh and avaricious for Mammon. In shame, the Christian Brothers, who right up to the last minute played hardball against complainants, claimed to have undergone a genuine post-Ryan 'Damascus style' conversion. They took the lead in accepting that they needed to pay more than the €30m they had already paid since 1996. On Monday night they delivered their new offer valued at €161m to the Department of Education. It is certainly not an ungenerous proposal especially for these economically depressed times of educational cutbacks by government. The Brothers' European Province leadership has proposed to make a donation of €34m to the Government as its post-Ryan report contribution towards victims of abuse under its care. OF this aggregate amount, €10m would be put into an independent trust to be established by the Government for educational, medical and welfare needs of former residents. This sum will be paid in annual instalments of €3m in 2010 and 2011, being topped by a final payment of €4m in 2012. After the disposal of properties owned by the Christian Brothers, they will contribute a further €20m. They forecast that in spite of the current slump in the property market, this target can be reached within the next five years. Also, over the coming four years, the Brothers would contribute a further €4m to support counselling and therapeutic services such as Faoiseamh, an independent service catering for the needs of former residents and others abused in religious-run institutions. After repentance has come reparation and compensation from the Brothers. This is not to rule out, at all, critical assessments from a unified group of victims of any loopholes. There may be some scope for clarification and refinement. But it would be a happy ending to a long, appalling tragedy if the Brothers and their former victims find agreement -- and work in partnership to support survivors and their relatives.
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