Bishops reaffirm ‘wholehearted support’ for child protection watchdog, ‘financial and otherwise’

Appointment of Teresa Devlin as chief executive of National Board for Safeguarding Children welcomed

Bishop Noel Treanor: A statement from the bishops’ meeting made no reference to the dispute involving former board chief executive Ian Elliott and Bishop  Treanor of Down and Connor over the review of that diocese, published last December Photograph: McQuillan/ Pacemaker
Bishop Noel Treanor: A statement from the bishops’ meeting made no reference to the dispute involving former board chief executive Ian Elliott and Bishop Treanor of Down and Connor over the review of that diocese, published last December Photograph: McQuillan/ Pacemaker

The Catholic bishops have reaffirmed “their full commitment to the continuing implementation and development of best practice in relation to safeguarding children”.

At the conclusion of their spring meeting in Maynooth yesterday, they said “this includes our wholehearted support, financial and otherwise, for the work of the National Board for Safeguarding Children, the implementation of the national board’s standards and guidance document at a local level, and the ongoing audit and review process of all dioceses and congregations.”

They also welcomed the recent appointment of Teresa Devlin as new chief executive of the board.

A statement from the meeting made no reference to the dispute involving former board chief executive Ian Elliott and Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor over the review of that diocese, published last December.

READ MORE

At the meeting the bishops discussed the recent survey of the Synod of Bishops on the family, circulated before Christmas in advance of that synod in Rome next October.

Patsy McGarry

Patsy McGarry

Patsy McGarry is a contributor to The Irish Times