IRELAND
One in Four
The Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin said last night that the child protection norms being applied by the Church, when priests were asked to step aside from ministry following allegations of child sex abuse, were precisely the same as those which would apply were the person involved a teacher or social worker.
He insisted the firm application of such norms by the Church was necessary if it were to have any credibility in child protection matters and that this was also in the interests of the protection of the good name of priests.
Speaking on RTÉ's Prime Time programme, he said he was aware of the anxiety of an increasing number of priests at how the Church's child protection policies were being applied currently, where accused priests were concerned.