THE MINISTER for Justice supported a recent claim by the Archbishop of Dublin that there were attempts to cover up clerical child sex abuse.

Dermot Ahern said: “Like everybody else, I took on board the sentiments expressed by Dr Diarmuid Martin.”

Labour justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte referred to Dr Martin’s “courageous remarks”, adding that he had an admirable track record on the issue.

Mr Rabbitte said more weight ought to be attached to his words when he said it was his view that powerful forces within the church were still covering up the evil of child sex abuse.

Mr Ahern said he agreed Dr Martin’s words would have to be taken very seriously when referring to those dark forces.

If it was the case there were people still railing against the type of new structures put in place, it was an issue, primarily, for the church authorities to deal with, he added.

Mr Rabbitte pressed the Minister to extend the commission of inquiry into the Dublin archdiocese to other dioceses in the State.

Mr Ahern said the commission was currently investigating the Cloyne diocese.

There was an ongoing Garda investigation into how church and State authorities handled clerical sex abuse and the commissioner would consult the Director of Public Prosecutions about possible criminal liability when it was completed, he added.

The HSE was completing an audit of Catholic dioceses to ensure it was fully aware of all abuse cases known to the church.

Consideration of the results of all those investigations would include what further action would be required, including a possible extension of the commission’s remit, Mr Ahern said.

Mr Rabbitte said the response from the Minister was disappointing, given the gravity of the issue. It was deeply troubling, he said, that Dr Martin felt it necessary to go public with trenchant remarks about covering up evil in society.

“What more could one have expected from the archbishop other than going to the top of Croagh Patrick and crying out to the heavens for help?

“He is saying in black and white that these crimes are still being covered up.”

Mr Rabbitte suggested this was an argument for the Minister to act and pick “a diocese like Raphoe, which is reported to have been rotten with this problem”.

Some of the cases had been ventilated in public, he added.

“Why does the Minister not take his courage in his hands and direct that the particular diocese would be investigated to support the plea that I take Dr Martin to be making to the civil authorities?”

Mr Ahern said any extension of the investigation would involve costs to the exchequer.

The Dublin investigation had cost in the region of €4.4 million to date, excluding third-party costs.

The cost of the Cloyne investigation is in the region of €1 million so far.

“The question of extending it to 21 other dioceses, or even the diocese of Raphoe, would incur additional expense,” Mr Ahern said.

He added that the decision was a matter for the Government.