The ISPCC has described the hundreds of child sex-abuse allegations pending in the Eastern Health Board area as "highlighting a national scandal of deeper significance than the hepatitis C scandal". It said the situation was "beyond critical" and needed to be addressed at Cabinet level.
It said the Government should react to sex-abuse scandals such as that witnessed in swimming by constituting appropriate inquiries.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has told the Dail that more than 1,000 cases of alleged child sex abuse were pending in the Eastern Health Board district. In a statement yesterday, the ISPCC said it appeared that hundreds of claims had not been processed, investigated or allocated a social worker.