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	Bishops Commit Funding for Abuse Victims Sunday Business Post March 20, 2011 http://www.sbpost.ie/news/ireland/bishops-commit-funding-for-abuse-victims-55219.html Ireland's Catholic bishops have published a pastoral response to mark the first anniversary of Pope Benedict's letter to Catholics on child abuse, proposing to continue dialogue between bishops and survivors of abuse and to provide €10 million funding over the next five years for an expanded counselling service. The response was available in parishes from yesterday evening. It said that meetings between bi shops and the survivors of abuse would continue, as would funding of initiatives to assist survivors of abuse. A new "Towards Healing" service, incorporating an existing helpline and including new services, commenced operation on February 1, 2011 and €10 million will be made available to fund this over the next five years. The document said that €20 million had been spent to date on the confidential helpline and counselling service. The €10 million contribution will be divided equally between dioceses and religious orders. Cardinal Sean Brady said that the publication today of the response - entitled "Towards Healing and Renewal" along with the five-year undertaking to continue funding of the new and expanded Church counselling service for survivors of abuse "are both tangible signs of our commitment to work with all people of goodwill to ensure, as best we can, that every child on this island is properly cared for and kept safe from all forms of abuse and harm."
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