IRELAND
seven.com.au
Date: 25/10/05
By Paul Hoskins And Kevin Smith
The Irish government is due to publish the results on Tuesday of a state probe into claims the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland covered up the sexual abuse of young people by priests over several decades.
The 270-page report, which stems from an investigation begun in 2002, is expected to detail the Church's handling of more than 100 allegations of abuse against dozens of priests in the diocese of Ferns in County Wexford dating back to the mid-1960s.
The findings are likely to reignite public anger in mostly Catholic Ireland after a string of clerical sex abuse scandals.
John Kelly, founder of the Survivors of Child Abuse support group, said the inquiry set up by former Minister for Health and Children Micheal Martin had not been given enough teeth and that its report was likely to be a "whitewash".
"The minister promised the Rolls Royce of tribunals but we got the get-away car," he said. "What we'll have confirmed today is that the politicians are still shafting us and the Church is still alive and kicking and dominating state politics."