In Ireland, numerous religious groups possess net assets amounting to tens or in certain situations, hundreds of millions. A financial appraisal of a representative selection of religious groups, submitted to the Charities Regulator, indicated a collective figure of approximately €1.3 billion in liquid assets and other forms of assets. For instance, the congregation of the Holy Spirit, which is the administrative body for Blackrock College, reported net assets of €157.4 million to the Regulator last year. The assembly of Christian Brothers revealed a figure of €54 million in net assets.
A recent examination unveiled a systemic pattern of abuse across religiously-administered day and boarding schools, with allegations of sexual abuse of children numbering in the thousands. As a response, the government has voiced its desire for these congregations to share in the financial burden of providing compensation for the victims.
Taoiseach Simon Harris expressed the opinion that the religious orders responsible for running these schools should shoulder a greater responsibility in terms of reparation. Government plans to set up a legal investigation into the sexual abuse of children in the schools. However, groundwork for this kind of procedure, as suggested by the Department of Education on Friday, might take a while. Official decisions regarding the functioning of the planned commission and any recourse scheme are yet to be decided.
An inter-departmental group of high-ranking officials was formed by Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to look into the terms of reference for the forthcoming Commission of Investigation and other related topics. The group is set to have its initial meeting next week. The group is expected to take some time to examine all associated aspects due to the complex nature of the issues, the size of the report, and the volume of recommendations involved. The spokesperson for the Department of Education pointed out that this group will eventually furnish advice to the Minister for Education concerning these topics.
Ms Foley expressed her desire for swift action regarding the completion of the process. Yet, there’s uncertainty about whether the Government can make decisive actions relevant to the commission or any potential compensation scheme before the upcoming general elections.
The overall worth of assets of Catholic dioceses and religious groups is undetermined. A 2009 study, triggered by the incumbent Government post the Ryan Report on Child abuse, disclosed that approximately €3.7 billion in assets resided within 18 congregations.
Nonetheless, to inspect the monetary details of the educational congregations entangled in abuse allegations would necessitate a broader examination.
In the previous year, Roderic O’Gorman, the Minister for Children, engaged consultancy firm EY to scrutinise the assets of the congregations involved in mother-and-baby homes. According to a spokesperson’s statement last Friday, the examination is yet to be concluded.
The financial data submitted to the Charities Regulator by some religious congregations lends insight into their economic resources.
Previous justifications by religious congregations state that these resources aren’t entirely liquid assets and that some properties function as schools or healthcare provisions. They contend that certain assets are “restricted” for specific utilisation; other resources are directed towards foreign missionary work, while some funds must be earmarked to cater to the health and other requirements of their diminishing, aging members.