IRELAND
eircom
From:ireland.com
Tuesday, 8th November, 2005
The Cabinet will today clear the way for a State inquiry into child sex abuse allegations against priests in the Dublin Catholic archdiocese dating back over 30 years.
However, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell has decided not to launch an inquiry along the lines of the one in Ferns into every other Catholic diocese.
Instead, the inquiry will be asked to make sure that all Catholic dioceses are abiding by rules agreed by the Catholic Bishops' Advisory Committee on Child Sexual Abuse by Priests and Religious nearly 10 years ago.
Dioceses, other than the Dublin archdiocese, found to be in breach of the 1996 regulations will be investigated more deeply if they are subsequently "red flagged" by the Minister of State for Children, Brian Lenihan. However, no past allegations will be examined for now in dioceses outside of the Dublin archdiocese by the inquiry, which will be probably headed by a retired High Court judge.