Shamed by child abuse, Ireland to reform services

By Andras Gergely

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will reform its social services for children in line with the recommendations of a report cataloguing decades of abuse by priests published last week, Prime Minister Brian Cowen said on Tuesday.

Cowen apologized to victims for the state's failure to intervene in what the report described as endemic sexual abuse and severe beatings in schools for much of the 20th century and he urged religious orders to pay additional compensation.

"It is deeply shameful for all Irish people that this happened in our country and that for so long it was not confronted," he told a news conference.

Cowen welcomed Tuesday's announcement by the Catholic order of Christian Brothers that it would review the compensation paid to victims of sexual abuse and violence.

"I believe that other individual congregations involved should now also articulate their willingness to make a further substantial voluntary contribution," Cowen said.

Irish religious orders had previously refused to renegotiate a deal for victims, despite pressure from church leaders and politicians after last week's report into abuse at institutions the orders ran between the 1930s and the 1970s.

"The Christian Brothers accept, with shame, the findings of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse," the order said. "The congregation is deeply sorry for the hurt we have caused."

Religious orders' total contribution to a redress scheme for thousands of victims that is expected to top 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) was capped at 127 million euros under a 2002 agreement.