Audit into How Children Are Being Safeguarded in Clogher Diocese to Be Launched

By Sarah Saunderson
Impartial Reporter
April 24, 2013

http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/roundup/articles/2013/04/24/400682-audit-into-how-children-are-being-safeguarded-in-clogher-diocese-to-be-launched/

Bishop Liam MacDaid will present the press conference at the launch of the Safeguarding Children audit for the Clogher Diocese in Monaghan this morrning.

An audit into the practices undertaken to safeguard children in the Clogher Diocese is to be launched this morning in Monaghan.

The Catholic Bishop of Clogher, the Very Rev. Bishop Liam MacDaid, will address a press conference on the report later this morning.

The Clogher report -- which is expected to detail any incidence of allegations against priests in the diocese from the mid-70s -- is part of the third tranche of similar reports by the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCI).

It comes after seven Safeguarding Review Reports reports were published for dioceses and religious congregations last September.

In February 2009, the three sponsoring bodies for the NBSCCI, the Irish Bishops' Conference, the Conference of Religious of Ireland, and the Irish Missionary Union, formerly adopted the safeguarding standards and guidance which had been proposed by the National Board. From that point on, each of the elements of the Church who minister in Ireland, were expected to commit themselves to full compliance with this guidance.

Today's report will is expected to examine this compliance in detail.

It is expected to be based on case material made available by the diocese. It should look at compliance with seven standards set out including a written policy on keeping children safe and procedures in how to respond to all allegations and suspicions. The report may also include recommendations to improve practice.

See tomorrow's edition of The Impartial Reporter for in-depth coverage of the report and Bishop MacDaid's comments.