Child Abuse Commission to cost up to €136m

The Comptroller and Auditor General says the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse could end up costing the State as much as €136m.

The Commission was originally given a two-year timeframe in which to complete its work, which was expected to cost around €2m.

By the time it finishes, it will have lasted for more than 10 years and will cost between €126m and €136m, according to a report today from the C&AG.

He says progress was extremely slow in the initial years as the commission was hampered by delays in agreeing legal expenses and compensation schemes.

The comptroller is recommending that, in future, more attention be given to establishing information systems that will allow costs to be estimated on an ongoing basis.