The Comptroller and Auditor General says religious congregations have so far handed over just 13% of the cost of the child abuse redress scheme. 

The congregations are supposed to pay the costs with the State on a 50 – 50 basis. 

A special report has also found that legal cost payments of almost €200m have been paid, with some legal firms getting between €5 – €19m. 

The initial child abuse inquiry was estimated to cost €2.5m, but the C and A G report says the cost of the commission is now €82m. 

Seamus McCarthy’s report also says the redress scheme was estimated to cost around a €250m – the bill to the end of 2015 is five times that. 

The total costs of over €1.5bn were to be split 50 – 50 between the State and Religious congregations, meaning the church would have to contribute €760m. 

This report finds the congregations have so far offered the equivalent of about 23% of the cost, while contributions actually received represent about 13%. 

Legal cost payments of almost €193 million have been paid to 991 firms – 17 have received between €1 – €5m each, while seven have been paid amounts between €5 – €19m each.