The Cabinet will consider proposals for an inquiry into the Dublin archdiocese's handling of clerical child sex abuse allegations within a fortnight, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Brian Lenihan, said yesterday.
Mr Lenihan said although there were no plans at the moment to hold inquiries outside Dublin, it was possible the Government would have to decide to hold inquiries in all dioceses.
The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, who will bring the proposals to Cabinet, said the Government would now go ahead with a Commission of Inquiry in the case of the Dublin archdiocese, where there have been allegations against nearly 70 priests over the last 60 years. Mr McDowell said this inquiry could begin in parallel with a Government-ordered "audit" of dioceses throughout the State to check abuse allegations were now being handled in accordance with best practice.
As the first step in this audit, Mr McDowell said Mr Lenihan had "written to the bishops collectively and individually to ask them whether they are in fact implementing best practice as has been claimed". He said the Government would not take assurances from bishops "at face value" but would check the situation independently.
Approximately 260 priests across the country have been accused of child sexual abuse, figures released by Catholic dioceses over recent days reveal. Some of the allegations of abuse go back more than 40 years, and in the case of Dublin one case dates back to the early 1940s. The final figure for the number of priests accused of child sexual abuse is likely to be higher as not all of the 26 dioceses have released details on allegations made to them.
Last night the Bishop of Raphoe, Dr Philip Boyce, said in a statement that €760,000 had to date been paid out in respect of 19 allegations of abuse.
Dr Boyce said allegations of child sexual abuse had been made against 10 priests in the diocese in the past 40 years. One such priest was still in ministry but there were no "reasonable suspicions" such as would give rise to a child protection question.
Dr Boyce said three priests in Raphoe, which covers Co Donegal, had been the subject of criminal charges and two had been convicted. He said one case was ongoing.
It also emerged yesterday that a priest in the Ferns diocese, against whom allegations of child sex abuse have been made, is to appear before an ecclesiastical court in the diocese. This follows a directive from the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The court will deem, under canon law, whether and what would be an appropriate sanction in the case.
It is understood that files concerning the priest who will appear before the ecclesiastical court were sent to the DPP, but no charges were brought against him.
Last November it emerged the Vatican had laicised two Ferns priests, Fr Donal Collins and Fr James Doyle, who had been convicted in the civil courts.