Care children 'need help for five years' after leaving
Victims' groups in talks with ministers
John Kelly, Survivors of Child Abuse, and Christine Buckley of the Aislinn Centre at Hawkins House, Dublin, yesterday
CHILDREN who are in the care of the State need to be monitored and helped for five years after they leave, according to the victims of residential abuse.
Yesterday, groups representing those who were attacked in institutions started talks with the Government over the recent Ryan report, which will culminate in discussions with Taoiseach Brian Cowen this evening.
The Government has yet to "name a price" on what compensation package it is now demanding from Ireland's religious congregations over the abuse of children in care facilities.
Proposals
Leaders of two of the main groups representing those who have been abused met with Children's Minister Barry Andrews in the Department of Health yesterday. They outlined a series of proposals they want implemented, including monitoring for those who have left the care of the State.
"You can have all of these care plans for children and then the next thing you know, they have reached the age and then they are out," said Christine Buckley, head of the Aislinn Educational and Support Centre.
Ms Buckley and John Kelly of Survivors of Child Abuse have asked that a trust be set up for the victims of abuse, which would be funded by the religious congregations.
"We did say that all of the money should not go directly to the Exchequer," said Mr Kelly.
"Most of this money should go to the victims by way of a trust and the victims themselves should be able to sit on the board to decide the needs of the victims, whatever they may be."
Tomorrow the Government is due to meet with the 18 congregations which were signatories to the 2002 indemnity deal that limits their exposure to €128m. The eventual bill ended up at €1.3bn, with the shortfall being made up by the taxpayer.
Debate
Chief whip Pat Carey had indicated that the Government would be looking for the religious congregations to pay 50pc of the bill but yesterday Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe said they would not debate compensation figures through the media.
"You do not go into discussions having named a price -- maybe when we get inside the door we will discuss it with them. But we should do that on a confidential basis with them," he said.
The Cork TD stressed that the Government position is that the religious orders at the centre of the Ryan Commission revelations must do more to help survivors of abuse.
"Let's have our discussions, let's have our confidentiality in terms of the meeting we have with them. And let's be informed by the survivors as to what they really will see as being appropriate," Mr O'Keeffe said.
The victims have called for the 18 religious orders involved to pay for at least 60pc of the compensation bill.
- Shane Hickey and Ralph Riegel
