A number of the 18 congregations criticised in the Ryan Report have described today's meeting with the Minister for Education as positive.
The Sisters of Mercy boycotted the meeting because Ruairi Quinn was not prepared to meet them on their own.
Minister Quinn has said offers by the religious orders to pay a greater share of the reparations to abused former residents fall several hundred million euro short of matching the taxpayers' contribution.
Earlier this month, Mr Quinn wrote to the 18 religious congregations concerned following up on the last government's call for them to meet half of the €1.3bn bill for victims of residential institutional child abuse.
He invited them to the meeting to discuss how they might bridge the estimated €350m shortfall in what they are offering.
He said he would be asking them to offset some of the taxpayers' contribution by transferring schools to the State.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he hoped the orders would discuss 'how the gap in the funding agreement which was signed on for by the congregations can be concluded in the interests of the victims.'
Martin calls for apology from Vatican
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, should demand the attendance in Ireland of the Vatican Secretary of State.
The call is to get answers to questions as regards the management of child abuse cases involving Catholic Church priests and clerics.
Speaking on Raidió na Gaeltachta, Mr Martin also said that the Vatican should apologise to this country for the church's mismanagement of clerical abuse cases.
