Taoiseach Enda Kenny has urged the religious congregations involved in the controversial indemnity deal with the State to meet Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn later this week.
The congregations have been invited to a meeting with Mr Quinn on Friday, but yesterday signalled they may not attend.
Mr Kenny said he hoped the orders 'can see it within themselves to turn up at that meeting and discuss honestly, thoroughly and comprehensively' with the minister how to bridge the gap between the two sides.
The State wants them to pay a further €200m in cash or assets to meet half of the cost of the €1.36bn compensation deal for victims of abuse.
The Taoiseach said he hoped the orders would turn up and 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'.
Meanwhile, a senior Catholic theologian has called on all Irish bishops who were appointed before the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, to resign.
Fr Vincent Twomey, Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at Maynooth, said he was seething with anger following the publication of the Cloyne report.
