Mercy Sisters offer of over €127m matches compo total

THE Sisters of Mercy have offered to contribute cash and properties worth over €127.5m in compensation to the victims of physical and sexual abuse in former industrial schools run by the order.

The offer by the congregation of nuns – which ran five industrial schools including the notorious Goldenbridge facility in Dublin – is one of the largest contributions by any of the 18 religious orders which ran such residential centres.

The various congregations were criticised for only contributing €128m towards the overall €1.3bn cost of the scheme in a controversial deal agreed with the Bertie Ahern-led Government in 2002.