Taoiseach asks Pope for ‘every effort’ on redress for historical abuse

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, Press Association in Vatican City

The Taoiseach has asked the Pope that “every effort” be made to get religious orders to engage on redress for historical abuse.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Pope Leo XIV met at the Vatican on Friday and discussed historical abuse by religious institutions in Ireland.

Martin said the Pope was “very clear and frank” that the Church needs to support survivors of abuse.

Successive governments in Ireland have had difficulty in getting religious orders to pay redress to victims of sexual abuse.

Only a handful of eight religious bodies linked to mother and baby homes in Ireland have agreed to contribute towards a 267 million euro redress scheme.

Last year, a commission of investigation was established into allegations of historical sex abuse in schools in Ireland.

A scoping inquiry found some 2,395 allegations of sexual abuse in day and boarding schools in Ireland run by religious orders, involving 884 alleged abusers in 308 schools across the country, between 1927 and 2013.

The Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Education and other state bodies has been exploring legal options that could force religious orders to pay for redress.

Martin and his wife Mary were greeted in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace on Friday morning by the Prefect of the Papal Household, Petar Rajic and the papal gentlemen.

After meeting the Pope for around 45 minutes, Mr Martin met with the Holy See Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and then travelled to the Pontifical Irish College in Rome to meet members of the college community.

Asked at the college by the Press Association if he raised the issue of the difficulty with engaging with religious orders on reparations, Martin said: “I did.

“I asked that every effort would be made to get the religious orders to engage proactively on the matter of redress.

“I did point out that because we’ve established a Commission of Inquiry into day schools and boarding schools, and that some orders – one or two orders – have come forward, but a lot of orders haven’t, and that assets are being sold, and that we want those assets allocated, and revenues from them to redress, and that the Government will continue its engagement with the religious orders.

“I think the sense is here that people do need to take ownership of this in terms of religious orders and in terms of issues back in Ireland of this issue.”

Asked if the Pope said he would contact religious orders, Martin said: “I don’t want to be putting words into the Pope’s mouth, but very clearly he’s of a disposition that the Church has to take ownership of this.

“We discussed the issue of trauma itself, that it’s not something that one sort of act or one engagement, he’s very aware of that, that this is an enduring programme of work that doesn’t begin with a Commission of Inquiry or acknowledgement of guilt, but that has to be worked on constantly and on a continuing basis.

Pleased to meet President Macron in Paris today.

Very comprehensive discussion ahead of our presidency of the EU, including on competitiveness, the next EU budget, security and enlargement. 

We also discussed the excellent bilateral relationship between Ireland and France. pic.twitter.com/Ju9RgMTNgW

— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) May 21, 2026

“I think he understands this area and the nature of it, and I explained myself that I was involved in establishing the first Commission of Inquiry into the industrial schools when I was a minister of education, and how many years later one would meet people who were victims and survivors, and the trauma stays with people.

“So he was very aware and conscious of that, and I think his response was in the affirmative.”

Later on Friday, Martin is to meet Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, following a meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Thursday.

The meetings with the two EU leaders is part of preparations for Ireland holding the presidency of the EU Council from July.