Religious orders in Ireland are to hand over close to €500m in total to compensate victims of sex abuse.

The latest to announce their increased offer are the Sisters of Mercy who revealed last night that they are handing over more than €20m in cash and €107.5m in property.

They said that they wholeheartedly regretted the suffering experienced by children in their care.

Over the past two weeks, the congregations have agreed to hand over an extra €350m to €370m in cash and property, in addition to the €128m already paid.

Two of the 18 orders named in the Ryan Commission report — the Rosminians and the Good Shepherd Sisters — said they had no money to offer but the remaining 16 have put forward varying amounts.

The biggest additional contributions have come from the Mercy Sisters and the Christian Brothers. The nuns said that €20m would be transferred to a trust for former residents — this has been promised by the government. Properties valued at €11.5m are also being transferred to the trust while €15m worth of property is going to voluntary groups and €80m worth of property to the Irish State.

“This contribution is in addition to a contribution already made in the sum of €33,091,114 and a commitment of €1,875,000 to a counselling service Faoiseamh over the next five years,” the congregation said in a statement.

Details of the properties have been given to the Republic’s Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe but have not been posted on the order's website.

The Sisters of Mercy ran 26 industrial schools in the state, including Goldenbridge in Inchicore, Dublin, which was described by the Ryan report as an “emotionally abusive institution” where girls were humiliated and belittled on a regular basis and treated with contempt by some staff members.

The congregation said it would immediately engage with the voluntary groups to whom it had been decided to transfer properties. It awaited confirmation from the government regarding the transfer of assets to the State and to the independent trust.

It said that in coming to a decision about its contribution, the congregation had attempted to be faithful to the values of reparation, reconciliation, healing and responsibility. “It is the sincere hope and desire of the congregation that this contribution will help towards the enhancement of the lives of former residents,” it said.

The largest provider of residential care for boys were the Christian Brothers who last week announced contributions of €161m in cash and property. The planned new trust for victims will get €30m and an additional €4m will go to counselling services.

The brothers said they will also transfer school playing fields — valued at €127m — into the joint ownership of government and the Edmund Rice Schools Trust which now owns the former Christian Brothers schools.

_{Source: Irish Independent}