Bishops cannot sell ‘protected’ property

CHILD sex abuse victims seeking compensation from the Catholic Church will not have full access to its property porfolio worth billions of euro.

The Church confirmed yesterday it has received a €10 million insurance fund to cover child sex abuse compensation costs before 1996.

But this money will not be enough to cover the number of claims pending. Bishops’ Conference spokesman Fr Martin Clarke refused to say yesterday how each diocese will finance this shortfall.