Spiritans disclose €57m assets as claims increase

• Published date: 23 November 2022
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

The Spiritan order has revealed congressional assets worth more than €57 million, as it deals with hundreds of allegations of sexual abuse in its schools

The disclosure comes as the order faces the prospect of a wave of new legal claims being made against it over abuse committed on children by priests.

About 70 people have come forward to make complaints since an RTÉ documentary was broadcast three weeks ago on the abuse of two Dublin brothers in the 1970s by priests at Blackrock College, Dublin.

The new complaints brought the number of allegations to 300. The order has faced about 100 legal actions - 15 of them active - and has apologised for serious failings that led to the abuse of children who could have been protected if action was taken sooner against perpetrators.

It paid out €5.4 million between 2004 and 2021 to settle 80 cases of abuse committed between the 1950s and the mid-1990s.

With new legal actions in prospect, data shows the Spiritans retain control over significant real estate and financial assets.

Reserved for education The €57.2 million in congressional assets are in addition to €107.4 million in "restricted" assets reserved for education, meaning the Spiritans control €164.63 million in net assets.

Such assets...