THE STATE investigation into the handling of clerical child sex abuse allegations by the Catholic Church and State authorities in Cloyne diocese is to cover a 13-year period, from January 1st, 1996, to February 1st, 2009.
Where relevant to cases from that period, it will also look at what happened prior to 1996, according to the inquiry’s newly published terms.
On January 7th last, Minister of State for Children Barry Andrews announced it was the Government’s intention to extend the remit of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation to include Cloyne diocese.
It followed the publication on December 19th last of a report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children, a Catholic Church watchdog, which found that child protection practices in Cloyne diocese were “inadequate and in some respects dangerous”.
Mr Andrews said it was hoped the report of the Cloyne investigation would be completed by July 7th, 2009, but this was now thought unlikely.
The necessary terms of reference for the investigation were not agreed by Cabinet until March 24th last.
According to those terms of reference, published last Friday week, the commission will select for investigation a representative sample of complaints or allegations of child sex abuse made to diocesan and other church authorities and public and other State authorities over that period.
