Chapter 2 — Finance

Adequacy of funding

What emerged from these references was that Artane was a large contributor to the Christian Brother’s Congregation in Ireland. The Visitation Reports indicate that most of the money for these contributions came from the house accounts that were funded almost exclusively by salaries paid to Brothers. Given that Brothers had almost no living expenses because these were covered by the school, the money paid in salary went in large part to the development of the Congregation. There was clearly a greater surplus of funds during periods of high occupancy in the 1940s and into the 1950s.

The school appeared to have adequate funds to function and to allow for substantial payments to the Congregation.

Other Christian Brothers’ institutions had similar references in their Visitation Reports.

In Glin, the Visitor referred to the purchase by the school of farm land in 1938 and stated: The finances of the Establishment were able to meet this outlay on land which is necessary for the production of food for the School and training for the boys.

In 1941, the Visitor remarked: Financially the Institution is sound, and if the numbers keep up to the present average all will be well.

The Reports show a credit balance for most of the 1950s in Glin but, as in Artane, falling numbers made the situation more difficult going in to the 1960s. A figure of £7,000 was recorded in the building fund for most of the 1950s and 1960s.

Carriglea also had references to the sound state of its finances. In 1936, the Visitor stated: ‘the Institution is in a sound state financially’. In 1937, the bursar was instructed that ‘The salaries of the Brothers should be debited against the school just as are the salaries of other officers of the Institution’.

Visitation Reports throughout the 1940s criticised the lack of proper book-keeping in Carriglea, although such figures as could be extracted indicated that the school was making a surplus for most of the years it operated. In 1951, it was again described as appearing to be ‘in a sound financial position’.

In 1953 the Visitor remarked: With almost £11,000 to its credit in the Bank and £4000 in the Building Fund, the financial position of the establishment is satisfactory. By some judicious method this £11,000 should be transferred to the Building Fund. To transfer it all by one cheque might not be desirable, as the Government – and possibly other parties also – seem to be anxious to probe into the financial position of industrial schools.

In 1954, the Visitor stated: The finances of this institution....are in a very sound condition. There is a sum of £16,000 invested in the Building Fund....

There was little in the Visitation Reports of Carriglea to indicate an institution struggling to survive financially.

In 1954, the numbers in Letterfrack were reduced substantially in order to restrict that Institution to boys convicted of criminal offences. Prior to 1954, it was not a very large school with numbers ranging from 130 to 170. In 1954, the Superior observed: Financially you are solvent but it is evident that there is not a whole lot of money to spare when one considers the need for expenditure.

In 1955 however, the Visitor stated: The finances for the year 1954 are remarkably satisfactory. The total credit balance rose from £3117 14.5 to £3573.0.1. There was a surplus income in the school a/c of £914.7.4 in spite of an abnormal purchase of a car for £521.

By 1956, the situation had deteriorated, but even then the Visitor sounded a note of optimism: ‘With growing numbers his [the Manager’s] position is gradually though slowly improving.’

In 1960, the Visitor remarked: The financial position of the establishment is not too sound but if the numbers can be maintained about their present level [110] the place could carry on.