A “For Sale” sign has gone up this week on the Christian Brothers monastery building on Synge Street in Portabello in my constituency. The property has a guide price of €3.75 million. For some time, I have been calling on the Minister for education to ensure that this building will be retained for educational use by the existing four schools on the street. Indeed, I have also called on the Christian Brothers in this regard. The area suffers from an acute shortage of local school places, particularly places where students can receive education trí Gaeilge. The Minister, Deputy Naughton, has said in response that her Department has no intention of acquiring the site. which is regrettable. Earlier this week, adults who were the victims of child sex abuse had to get an order from the High Court to compel the Christian Brothers to disclose the names of alleged abusers and members of the order in order that they could be sued. The Christian Brothers are still using controversial legal strategies to keep redress beyond the reach of those to whom it is owed. Now we are seeing the Christian Brothers selling what could create a world-class public educational campus to the highest bidder. This will be a commercial sale, with no conditions attached.

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Whether they will use the proceeds to compensate victims of abuse, we do not know.

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I am asking the Taoiseach to intervene with the Minister for education in order to ensure this building remains in public usage as an educational campus-----

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-----or at the very least that the money to the Christian Brothers is used to pay victims.

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Hear, hear. Exactly.

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