IRELAND
The Sunday Times
Enda Leahy and Nicola Tallant
A Health Service Executive (HSE) employee who has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography was being funded by the state body to do a masters degree in child psychology at the same time as undergoing a treatment programme for paedophiles.
Seamus Fennelly, 48, who worked as an administrator in the HSE offices in Kilkenny, had access to sensitive information on children in care. Earlier this month he pleaded guilty to serious child pornography charges at Kilkenny district court and he is due to be sentenced tomorrow.
The former Capuchin brother was sent by the HSE to the Granada Institute in Dublin, one of the few Irish clinics to specialise in the treatment of sexual offenders. The agency paid for his treatment, which costs €2,400 for an assessment and €90 per session afterwards.