The Irish government says it’s “deeply disappointed” that five out of eight religious orders linked to historical abuse at mother and baby homes in Ireland haven't offered any contribution to a compensation scheme for survivors of the institutions involved.
An €800m (£683m) redress scheme was set up after a wide-ranging investigation which began in 2015 found that hundreds of babies had been buried in a mass grave near one of the homes in County Galway. Mother and baby institutions mainly housed women who became pregnant outside marriage, which was considered shameful in 20th Century Ireland.
The Irish Government has previously apologised for what happened to women and their children in the institutions and asked religious orders to pay €267m (£230m) towards the scheme.
The homes were run by seven religious orders; however, to date, only one – the Sisters of Bon Secours - is said to have offered a "meaningful" financial contribution of around 13m euros (£11.1m).
Another, the Sisters of St John of God – declined to contribute to the scheme but offered a conditional donation of €75,000 (£64,000) to be used for a charitable purpose associated with mother and baby home survivors.
The Irish government is considering an offer from the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul to contribute a building to the scheme.
The remaining bodies, the Congregation of the Ladies of the Good Shepherd, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy, and the Legion of Mary, are all reported to have made no contributions. The Church of Ireland, which had stated it didn’t own or manage any of the homes mentioned, is also highlighted for not offering any contribution.
A Church of Ireland spokesperson told Premier: "The Church of Ireland has explained to the Government’s negotiator that it did not found, own or manage any of the homes referred to in the report. The Church has offered and will continue to offer pastoral care to former residents of mother and baby homes, many of whom express an ongoing sense of hurt."
The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, said she was "deeply disappointed" and would ask the Irish Attorney General about possible future options.
More than 30,000 people are believed to be eligible for the scheme, and the religious orders involved are believed to have assets worth more than €1 billion (£861m).