The Spiritans have paid out €8.8 million to 125 abuse survivors, including former pupils of Blackrock College in Dublin and other schools run by the religious order.
The figure includes €3.4 million paid in settlements to 52 abuse survivors who have come forward since RTÉ broadcast its Blackrock Boys radio documentary in November 2022. This figure does not include legal costs.
The documentary involved interviews with David Ryan and his late brother Mark who were abused at Blackrock College and its preparatory school, Willow Park.
A total of 58 people have made claims against the Spiritans since the documentary was broadcast, with 52 addressed to date.
Spiritans have paid €8.8m in settlements to 125 abuse survivors since 1998
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Between 1998 and November 2022 the congregation paid €5.4 million in settlements to 73 survivors. That figure also does not include legal fees.
It involves litigation cases brought against the Spiritans’ Irish Province between 1998 and 2022, as well as a small number of actions from other jurisdictions, mainly in the United States and UK, which fall under the responsibility of the Irish Province.
By November of last year, 359 survivors of abuse at Spiritan schools had come forward, including the 347 disclosed in the scoping inquiry report on abuse at private fee-paying schools published last September.
A further 12 survivors came forward subsequently.
The report disclosed allegations against 67 alleged abusers at Spiritan-run schools, including Blackrock College, St Mary’s College, St Michael’s College and Templeogue College in Dublin, and Rockwell College in Co Tipperary.
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There were 130 allegations made against 24 alleged abusers at Willow Park and 55 allegations against 13 alleged abusers at Blackrock College.
There were 60 allegations relating to 18 alleged abusers at Rockwell College, with 32 allegations against six alleged abusers at St Mary’s in Rathmines.
There were 10 allegations against four alleged abusers at St Michael’s in Ballsbridge, and five allegations against two alleged abusers at Templeogue College.
A further 37 allegations were made against Spiritans not connected to any school.
Meanwhile, 171 survivors have, to date, engaged with the Spiritan restorative justice programme – a listening, support and healing process which includes counselling and face-to-face meetings with the Spiritan leadership team.
Those incidents of sexual abuse by Spiritans were among 2,395 allegations at 308 schools run by the religious orders, as recorded in the scoping inquiry report.
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Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said “a high-level interdepartmental group” was “working intensively” in preparing terms of reference for the commission of investigation into schools, as recommended in the scoping inquiry report.
The group includes “high-level representation from several Government departments” and was “working closely with the Office of the Attorney General and has sought expert advice where appropriate”.
The spokesperson said the issues were “complex” but it was desirable the commission be “robust, and has the necessary powers to compel witnesses and documents, and so that it can complete its work in a reasonable time frame”.
It is expected to report “shortly” to Minister for Education Helen McEntee.
