By Mike Dwane
Limerick Leader
July 22, 2009
http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/Limerick-Diocese-defends-its-child.5481628.jp
A SPOKESMAN for Bishop Donal Murray has defended child protection safeguards in Limerick after documentary maker and author Mary Raftery called for a judicial inquiry into clerical sex abuse in the diocese.
Ms Raftery, whose investigations helped to lift the lid on child abuse in the Catholic Church, last night claimed the Diocese of Limerick shared committees with the Diocese of Cloyne (Cork), where a commission of inquiry is investigating child abuse by clerics.
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| Bishop Donal Murray /td> |
The report on abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin was presented to Justice Minister Dermot Ahern yesterday but publication looks likely to be delayed over ongoing criminal proceedings against two priests named in that report.
Speaking on RTE Drivetime, Ms Raftery said the Dublin Archdiocese now had "progressive" child protection arrangements in place but claimed other dioceses were lacking, singling out Limerick for mention.
"I would suggest there are serious problems in Limerick that should be examined by a commission of inquiry because we became aware of some difficulties in Limerick through Cloyne and some of the shared committees they had," she said.
But diocesan secretary Fr Paul Finnerty responded that there was no common committee between the dioceses in relation to child protection.
"The safety of children has the highest priority in the Diocese of Limerick," Fr Finnerty said.
"A child safeguarding committee operates in the Diocese of Limerick. There is no shared child protection committee between the Diocese of Limerick and the Diocese of Cloyne. Within the diocese, and in every parish of the diocese, there are trained and committed people to ensure that children and young people are safe."
"The diocese meets with An Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive several times a year to review all cases. If Mary Raftery is aware of information which would cause concern, it should be reported to the Gardaí and HSE.
"The Diocese itself would also be most anxious to receive any such information."
Bishop Murray is one of 19 senior church figures whose handling of abuse complaints in the capital between 1975 and 2004 comes under scrutiny in the report submitted to Minister Ahern yesterday.
He was auxiliary bishop of Dublin in 1983 when he was approached by parishioners, including a former garda, in Wicklow who made complaints against paedophile priest Fr Thomas Naughton.
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