IRELAND
Irish Independent
David Quinn
Religious Correspondent
CATHOLIC Bishops are to hand over responsibility for the handling of child abuse claims to professionally qualified lay people.
The move is part of a radical new child protection policy and is a reflection of the loss of trust suffered by the bishops as a result of the spate of sex abuse scandals.
In future, the bishops will have no discretion over whether or not an allegation should be passed on to the civil authorities.
They will only have discretion over whether or not a priest should stand aside from his duties while the investigation into the allegation takes place.
A new "National Board" will oversee the policy and it is to be headed by Justice Anthony Hederman, the former Attorney General and Supreme Court judge.