Clerical abuse victim lashes McDowell over inquiry delay

Wednesday May 25th 2005

ONE of the victims of paedophile priest Fr Ivan Payne has hit out at the Government for delays in setting up the fast-track investigation into how the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin managed child abuse claims against priests.

Andrew Madden said it was no longer acceptable that victims were waiting almost three years after Justice Minister Michael McDowell promised an inquiry.

Mr Madden, who in 1994 became the first clerical child sex abuse victim to go public, said despite the fact he and others had numerous meetings with the Department of Justice, there had been no progress.

The new inquiry, which is set to come under the Government's new powers to establish commissions of investigations into matters of public interest, is set to examine in detail how allegations of clerical child sexual abuse were handled.

While it has emerged that Mr McDowell has written to Finance Minister Brian Cowen on the setting up of the probe, Mr Madden said victims were fed up waiting.

He told the Irish Independent that Mr McDowell had agreed to the inquiry in October 2002 and legislation allowing for the establishment of commissions of investigation was passed by the Oireachtas last year.

Mr Madden said he met officials from the Department of Justice in February of this year only to learn that no further progress had been made on the matter.

"We've waited. We've been patient. We've been supportive of the minister - I'm still supportive of the minister - but I'm fed up."

Mr Madden called on Mr McDowell to immediately publish terms of reference for the inquiry. The Department of Justice said the minister hoped to bring proposals on the commission of investigation to Government shortly.

Kathy Donaghy

? Irish Independent