All guilty of child abuse subject to law-Ahern

The Taoiseach repeated his view that priests guilty of child abuse were subject to State law.

Mr Ahern told the Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, that the law of the land applied to everybody no matter who or what one was, or the person's status, or what they thought it was.

"This applies to me, to the deputy, to everybody. I appeal to anyone with information regarding any of these issues, in particular clerical sexual abuse, to give that information to the Garda and it will be dealt with under the criminal justice system without fear or favour."

Mr Kenny had sought clarification on the difference between State law and canon law. "This morning, relevant sections of canon law were quoted in the media to the effect that paedophilia was a disease and, according to canon law, clerics thus afflicted should not be removed from active ministries. This is a matter of grave concern to a great number of people."

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairí Quinn, suggested that the report undertaken by Mr George Birmingham SC into the clerical abuse in the diocese of Ferns should be extend to cover the entire State.

Mr Ahern said the Government would await meetings between the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Health with the group representing victims of child abuse in Dublin and representatives of the Ferns diocese before making a final decision. The Government was also awaiting further discussions with the Attorney General, Mr Rory Brady, when he returned later in the week from The Hague.

Mr Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) said that whereas primary culpability for the appalling litany of abuse over the years rested with the Catholic Church, the State carried a heavy responsibility also for facilitating an atmosphere and regime whereby the church was allowed to have inordinate influence on matters of state.

"The Mother and Child Scheme is one of the most blatant examples. By facilitating and bending the knee on matters, the State and successive governments, preceding that of this Taoiseach, were culpable in allow such an atmosphere of secrecy and unparalleled power to develop by which this appalling regime of abuse continued."

Mr Ahern said he did not wish to comment on the laws and practices of the past because there was not much he could do about it. "I can only attempt to deal with the present and the future. Much good work was done in the past, even though these issues are abhorrent."

Welcoming the Government's decision to have a non-statutory inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse in the Ferns diocese, Mr Kenny said he understood there was another television programme forthcoming relating to sexual abuse in the north-west.

He asked if the Government had given consideration to the possibility that it might be necessary to set up a permanent commission dealing with allegations of sexual abuse, as it now appeared the issue may well have strayed into other sectors of society.

Mr Ahern said that issue would be examined relating to other legislation. "We do not wish to make a hasty decision on this matter. We must make a careful analysis and decide what is the best way to deal with it."