IRELAND
One in Four
Role of the health authorities:
The South Eastern Health Board did not provide counselling or support to 10 school girls and their families after they reported allegations of abuse against a parish priest in Ferns, the inquiry has found.
It establishes that counselling was only offered by the health board through a public statement in 1995, some seven years after the alleged abuse of the girls by the then parish priest of Monageer, Fr Jim Grennan, in 1988.
This response has been criticised in the report as "inadequate and inappropriate".
The report also says the health board response was not consistent in all cases. After the 10 schoolgirls made their allegations against Fr Grennan, seven of them were interviewed and assessed. The health board informed the gardaí and church authorities.