SEANAD REPORT:CATHOLICS who lived by the Gospel should be given an opportunity to participate in a day of penance or reflection for the victims of clerical sexual abuse, Martin Conway (FG) suggested.

As a practising Catholic, he was ashamed at the latest disclosures concerning abuse in a number of dioceses. He thought the church needed to do something positive as a response. Its leaders should pick a day and open up churches to people who wanted to express their disgust and abhorrence.

Church members should be enabled to attend church on a designated day to pray for the many victims whose lives had been destroyed as a result of child sexual abuse within the church.

“I think that something like that would be appropriate for ordinary, decent Catholics to express how they feel about what has gone on.”

Mary White (FF) said Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald should establish a full, independent commission of investigation, with a remit to assess the handling of child abuse allegations by both the church and the State.

Tax write-offs amounting to billions of euro should be subjected to greater scrutiny, Seán Barrett (Ind) said. Dr Micheal Collins, of TCD, had estimated that up to €12 billion was taken out of the exchequer annually through such mechanisms. Yet, this issue was not being addressed in the lead-up to the budget in the way other areas, such as child allowances, were being targeted, he said.

Mr Barrett said there had been advertisements offering the services of tax lawyers and accountants “on how to beat the budget”. These people produced nothing; they just moved money out of the exchequer into the hands of their clients. They were a massive source of income inequality, because only the very rich could afford their services.

The bank guarantee for a further year was agreed by 35 votes to three, with David Cullinane and Kathryn Reilly (SF) and David Norris (Ind) dissenting.