Barnardo's and the Good Shepherd Sisters to make abuse payment

Two of the six institutions involved in negotiations with the executive over redress for victims of historical child abuse intend to make payments to Stormont in the "coming weeks".

The Good Shepherd Sisters and Barnardo's are willing to give money to the government, BBC News NI has learned.

Stormont has funded a compensation scheme for victims and survivors.

Set up in 2019, it followed a public inquiry that reported back in 2017.

But religious orders and other institutions where abuse took place have yet to make any financial contributions to offset part of the compensation being paid out by Stormont.

Although the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIA) recommended that institutions should be asked to make an "appropriate financial contribution" to the overall cost of redress, they cannot be compelled to do so.

In 2019, the then-head of the civil service at Stormont, David Sterling, said the government would "pursue" churches and others for money to offset part of the HIA compensation.

He then wrote to six institutions, including religious orders, about compensation payments in 2019, but to no avail.

An independent facilitator, Paul Sweeney, was appointed in 2021 by ministers to try and take forward negotiations with the institutions.

Stormont has paid out almost £85m since applications for redress opened in 2020, but the scheme is due to close next year.

The Executive Office, which oversees the issue, said it would continue to engage with the institutions about a "final payment" following the closure of the redress board.

But it told BBC News NI: "Two institutions, Barnardo's and the Good Shepherd Sisters, have indicated their intention to make an interim contribution.

"We are continuing to engage with both institutions on receiving this payment in the coming weeks.

"Constructive discussions on appropriate contributions from the other four institutions are ongoing."

The Sisters of Nazareth said it was "continuing to engage" but it would "not comment on the ongoing discussions" with the Executive Office.

Margaret McGuckin from Savia (Survivors & Victims of Institutional Abuse) said survivors want to hear that institutions "have coughed up".

She added: "That will help maybe in the healing to see these people brought to book and just contributing to this redress fund, giving the money back that has been taken from the taxpayers to give it to the hospitals and the education system."

Jon McCourt, from Survivors North West, said: "This is public money that's already been paid out and I think that's it's only fair that the organisations and institutions responsible for the abuses of children should recompense the government for what's already been paid out.

"So it's long overdue and it's not just about topping up the redress fund as it's already been rolled out, it's also about the future provision of services."

Alliance assembly member and chair of the Executive Office committee, Paula Bradshaw, said a "firm timeline" needed to be put in place for payments.

"We know the independent facilitator has been working with the religious orders and institutions for a number of years now," she told BBC News NI.

"That two of them are willing to make a contribution is progress, but we would like to see a firm action plan of how that money is going to be brought forward and by whom."

She said it was not enough for institutions to pay "lip service" and to ensure there was no cap imposed.

"It's not just money in the short term, but as a contribution in longer terms for services that victims and survivors require," she added.

Last week, a Stormont committee heard concerns about the financial process from victims and survivors.