Redress scheme figures: Talk is cheap

Differences over the division of the unanticipated costs of the redress scheme to help those abused while in the care of Catholic religious orders have become fraught.

Up to the end of 2015, the two schemes involved cost far more than was envisaged. The bill then stood at over €1.5bn, far beyond the estimated €250m. Legal bills reached over €190m and accounted for almost 20% of payments made. Most claims had been dealt with at that stage and 85% of them fell below the €100,000 mark. To date, the Catholic Church has contributed €480.6m to this process either through cash or property transfers. This is less than a third of the total and a long way short of the 50:50 ratio anticipated.

During his recent, short visit to Ireland, Pope Francis spoke of the hurt felt by his Church over these scandals. He apologised and sought forgiveness. To invoke a phrase often used by another religious leader, the late Ian Paisley: “Soft words butter no parsnips.” This is just one of the reasons twice as many people went to the recent Ploughing Championships as went to the papal mass in the Phoenix Park.