Commission of inquiry will be set up into clerical abuse

Michael O'Regan

The Government will set up a commission of inquiry into clerical child sex abuse as part of its proposed national audit, T?naiste Mary Harney has said.

She also said that proposals on the terms of reference for the inquiry into the Dublin archdiocese would come before the Cabinet in two weeks.

Ms Harney said the commission would be set up under new powers provided by recent legislation, adding that Minister of State for Health and Children Brian Lenihan and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell were discussing the issue.

"The intention is that the first module of the commission of inquiry would be an examination of current practice across all dioceses in the country," she added.

"This will ensure that that measures in operation in Ferns, commended by the Murphy report, are also in operation in every other diocese. In this way, we can be assured that the risk of people abusing children, and it's not being dealt with satisfactorily, is eliminated." Ms Harney was replying to Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, who said that considerable confusion existed about the Taoiseach's response to the Ferns report. Neither journalists nor himself knew what a national audit meant, he added.

John Gormley (Green Party, Dublin South East) said that on foot of the Ferns report, Mr McDowell had promised amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill so that those who did not act on knowledge of child sex abuse would be guilty of an offence.

"Will the Government investigate the fact that the Garda Commissioner knew about the activities of Canon Martin Clancy, as stated in the report?" he added.

Ms Harney said that the Bill, which was before the House, had not yet reached the committee stage. The Minister would bring an amendment, similar to that suggested in the Murphy report, to the Cabinet within weeks, and it would be passed as part of the Bill.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny asked if the register of persons unsafe to work with children Bill would be fast-tracked.

Ms Harney said it was being done on a North-South basis, which was appropriate. "It will be done as quickly as possible, but I am not in a position to say when we will have the legislation."

? The Irish Times