This article is from page 2 of the 2009-12-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 2 JPG
OVER €320,000 was paid out to sur- vivors of clerical sexual abuse in the diocese of Killaloe last year, accord- ing to diocesan accounts for 2008 which were published last week.
Referring to “the ongoing fallout from the appalling tragedy of sexual abuse by a small number of clergy in the past”, Bishop Willie Walsh said that this continues to demand time and resources for healing and rec- onciliation and that €323,507 was paid in 2008 for this purpose. The payment was funded from part of the proceeds raised by the sale of land at the Bishop’s house in Ennis during 2001.
A further €19,152 was spent on child protection measures which
Bishop Walsh said “reflects the com- mitment of the diocese to ensure best practice by all people in our parish communities who work with chil- dren and young people”.
The 2008 accounts show a defecit of €22,403 with gross income of €1,116,923 and total expenditure of €1,139,326. This is in contrast to a surplus of €165,517 for the previous year when expenditure amounted to €878,227.
Stating that he was deeply con- scious of the fact that the accounts were being published at a time when many were facing financial burdens of their own, Bishop Walsh warned that because of the effect of the reces- sion on its income from investments, the diocese would have to depend more heavily on contributions from
parishioners to meet its obligations in the coming years.
The defecit was worsened by bank interest charges on a bridging loan negotiated in April 2008 pending the maturity of an investment the follow- ing September. The collapse in finan- cial markets before the maturity date for the investment left the diocese unable to repay the bank loan which accounted for an interest payment of €102,450 in 2008.
Bishop Walsh said that many par- ishes were helping with the repay- ment of the bank loan to reduce the interest payment for the coming years.
Exactly half of the diocesan in- come in 2008 came directly from the parishes through a 12.5 per cent con- tribution from their normal annual
income. Investments, mainly in the form of dividends from shares, ac- counted for 42 per cent of income but because of the collapse of the finan- cial markets this source of income will be significantly reduced over the next few years.
Despite this, Bishop Walsh said the diocese remains committed to its social, charitable and missionary obligations which have depended heavily on the investment income in the past. That investment income has been largely the source used to support families and others in need – both at home and overseas – and is applied through agencies such as CLARECARE, North Tipperary Community Services and others as well as supporting on-going mission- ary activity.