Religious orders not to add to compensation deal

RELIGIOUS orders that ran children’s institutions where abuses took place will not be asked to contribute more to the state compensation fund despite the likelihood that the cost of victims’ claims will increase.

Eighteen religious orders are collectively contributing about 12% of what was the expected cost of the claims but the final bill for the abuse scandal is expected to rise after the High Court ruled earlier this week that the eligibility criteria for applicants to the fund was too restrictive.

The court said the age limit for applicants should be raised from 18 to 21 years to take account of young women who were sent to mother-and-baby homes after the age of 18. It is believed the ruling could result in a fresh round of applications to the Residential Institutions Redress Board (RIRB), which administers the compensation scheme.