The president of St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Mgr Dermot Farrell, has said there was nothing in the college records to show that any formal complaint had been made about the former president, Mgr Micheál Ledwith, by the former senior dean there, Father Gerard McGinnity.
Speaking to reporters at the college yesterday morning, he also said they had received no complaints directly from Father McGinnity.
When it was put to him that Father McGinnity had said he was "demoted and humiliated" at the college in 1984 for his efforts at protecting seminarians who had complained to nine bishops about Mgr Ledwith's behaviour, Mgr Farrell said there were "many, in fact, who retired from the college and went to parish ministry, including people involved in the formation process and other people, including professors".
He said at least half a dozen had done so in his own time at the college.
Pressed as to whether an inquiry into the matter was required, he said that was a matter for the trustees/bishops.
He said Father McGinnity's description of what happened to him as having been "demoted and humiliated" was "his view of the matter".
"Obviously it happened 20 years ago - long before my time. We do not have anything on the records of the college to indicate that that's the case," he said.
As regards the six seminarians who sought Father McGinnity's protection at the time, he said the college had no way of compelling them to come back and take part in an interview about the matter.
Asked whether he might invite them back to do so, he said that was a matter for the trustees.
He did agree, however, that it would certainly be to the benefit of the college if the matter was cleared up.
Queried as to whether there should be an inquiry into the allegations by Father McGinnity, Cardinal Desmond Connell said: "I wasn't a bishop at the time all this happened so I will be taking advice." Pressed to expand on this he said he had "nothing further to say".
The Bishop of Clonfert, Dr John Kirby, said he had "no view on that at all" when asked whether he believed Mgr Ledwith should still be on the pension roll of the Catholic Church.
It is now believed unlikely that the Irish Bishops' Conference, currently meeting in Maynooth, will give a press conference tomorrow, the final day of its summer meeting. A spokesman for the bishops said last night that it was much more likely a statement would be issued by the Catholic Communications Office instead. He also said that progress was made "on all fronts" during the meeting yesterday.
Among other items the bishops are believed to be discussing are terms of reference for the internal independent audit of how each diocese has dealt with complaints of clerical child sex abuse over recent decades. They announced the audit on April 8th, and are also thought likely to discuss the names of personnel most suitable to conduct such an audit.
