Safety Suggestions Made Six Years Ago Not All Followed up

By Louise Hogan
Irish Independent
September 6, 2012

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/safety-suggestions-made-six-years-ago-not-all-followed-up-3221635.html

[Safeguarding Reviews 2nd Tranche – September 2012]

ONE priest was convicted of sexual abuse after 18 allegations were made against 10 priests in the Diocese of Kildare and Leighlin over almost four decades.

An in-depth review by the church's child safety watchdog, the church's National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC), yesterday moved to issue 12 recommendations to make child safety structures "more robust" in the diocese covering 56 parishes from Kildare to Wexford.

While not highly critical of child safety measures, the board stated it was "regrettable" that not all of the suggestions to improve child safeguarding contained in an independent consultant's report from six years ago had been followed up.

Monsignor Brendan Byrne, Diocesan administrator, said work was already under way on fulfilling the recommendations, including the appointment of a lay person as a 'designated person' on the child safeguarding team.

"It is mainly administration -- it is not a case of the work not being done," Msgr Byrne added.

There were 18 allegations lodged against 10 priests between January 1975 to May 2012. These involved eight deceased priests and two living priests, who are out of ministry. Six of the priests were already deceased at the time the allegation was received.

There has only been one conviction of a priest of having committed an offence against a young person since 1975.

In March 2009, former parish priest Fr Peter Cribben, in Newbridge and Rhode, Co Offaly, was convicted of indecent assault on a 14-year-old schoolboy. A civil case was settled, with the diocese contributing ˆ175,000, or ˆ226,659 including legal fees.

In another case, a priest was facing very serious criminal charges when he died in 2002. The diocese contributed ˆ133,835 in a civil case.

There are no further civil cases pending.

Trish O'Neill, a diocesan trainer in safeguarding, said 316 people had been trained on issues including creating a safe environment and the recruitment of staff.

"I would be very happy for my children to be involved in parish and diocesan youth activities because there are so many people with high awareness and good practice," she said.