IRELAND .- (AGENCIALAVOZ.ORG) The Irish government has claimed an additional EUR 200 million to the Catholic Church to compensate victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, as declared on Tuesday the Irish prime minister Brian Cowen.
As he explained to the deputies, the government has led to 18 religious congregations to pay half the bill. The balance must be paid by Irish taxpayers.
Several reports revealed last year thousands of cases of abuse, particularly sexual, perpetrated in schools orphanages, hospitals and children's institutions run by these congregations.
According to Cowen, the cost of investigations of justice and compensation for the 14,500 victims should rise to about 1,360 million euros.
congregations had announced in 2002 that would pay 128 million euros. Earlier this year, totaled 348 million euros in cash and in real estate.
But the prime minister has said that the objective is an equitable sharing of the bill among the Irish State and the Catholic Church, stressing that this "must provide" an additional 200 million euros.
"We talk to them [the churches] to determine the additional contribution that could provide, because we believe that a fair would be a deal by the middle of [the bill], "said Cowen.
[religious orders] have expressed their willingness to work constructively with the government on these issues, "said Cowen.
Ireland has been rocked by numerous cases of pedophilia committed for decades by members of the Catholic Church. The cases were silenced by the church hierarchy.
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