Documents released by the Department of Education show that less than €30 million in cash, out of €128 million, will be made available to the State immediately to pay compensation and legal fees to victims of institutional abuse from the deal the Government struck with the Conference of Religious in Ireland.
However, the Minister for Education, Noel Dempsey, has denied the deal is a bad one for the taxpayer.
The bulk of the agreement is financed by property transfers. The State cannot sell this land for 25 years without the permission of the Minister for Finance.
