Bacik raises concerns about sale of Synge Street Monastery

Today, Ivana Bacik, TD for Dublin Bay South, voiced her concerns in the Dail about the news that the Christian Brothers’ monastery building on Synge Street, Portobello, Dublin 8, is for sale this week with a guide price of 3.75 million Euro.

Deputy Bacik said:

“For many months now, knowing that the Christian Brothers were planning to sell this significant building, I had called on the Order and on the Education Minister to ensure that this building would be retained for educational use by the existing schools on the street, with student numbers set to expand. Unfortunately, in response to my questions, Minister Naughton has said her Department has no intention of acquiring the site.

“Now the Christian Brothers have placed the building for sale on the open market, at a time when, earlier this week, adult victims of child sex abuse had to get an order from the High Court, compelling the same Order to disclose details of their membership so that they could be sued.

“The Order, like other religious orders, is an unincorporated association and is still using controversial legal strategies which have the effect of keeping redress beyond the reach of abuse survivors to whom it is owed. In Synge Street, they are selling what could be a world-class educational campus to the highest bidder – apparently with no conditions attached.

“That’s why I raised my concerns today with the Taoiseach as to whether they will at least use the proceeds of this sale to make appropriate redress to victims of institutional abuse.

“I welcome the Taoiseach’s response today in the Dail, in offering his own view that the proceeds of such a sale should be ‘ring-fenced’ to provide redress to victims and survivors of abuse. He also confirmed that the Government are reviewing potential legal reforms to facilitate the taking of legal actions by survivors. On 25 June, I will be introducing my own Labour Bill in the Dail to provide for this reform, and I am calling on the Taoiseach and Government to indicate that they will support it.”