Victims of clerical sexual abuse told the Irish Catholic Church hierarchy today that members of religious orders must be fully investigated under a specially established audit.
The victims made the plea as Bishops from 26 dioceses across the island discussed plans for the independent audit into the scandal.
In a meeting with two of the Bishops, at the conference in Maynooth, County Kildare, the victims also demanded to be given access to files which will be inspected by the auditor.
At the meeting, held at St Patrick's College, the victims' representatives raised fears with Bishops Willie Walsh and Eamonn Walsh that members of religious orders, where much of the abuse occurred, would not be investigated.
The orders answer directly to Rome rather than the Irish Church.
The victims called on Ireland's Catholic Church leader, Cardinal Desmond Connell, to ensure the investigation into abuse, stretching back 60 years, was comprehensive.
Campaigner John Kelly said: "It is up to the Cardinal to say to the religious orders ‘get in here, you have accountability, you must be made accountable'.
"They have to be accountable to somebody."
The Bishops are discussing the terms of reference for the proposed audit, who will carry it out and ways to strengthen the Church's Child Protection Office. These responses to the scandal were decided at an emergency meeting of the Bishops two weeks ago.
Church spokesman Father Martin Clarke said: "The issue today is to see is there a way of working together and a way of co-operating that will be fruitful and that can be undertaken expeditiously."
A separate state inquiry will be launched after Senior Counsel George Birmingham completes a report into how best to conduct such an investigation.
The sex abuse crisis escalated at the beginning of the month when the Bishop of Ferns, Brendan Comiskey, resigned over his failure to prevent paedophile priest Sean Fortune from abusing boys in Wexford in the 1980s and 1990s.
Fortune killed himself with a cocktail of drink and drugs in 1999 when he was finally caught and was awaiting trial.
More victims have come forward since the resignation, shaking confidence in the Catholic Church.
The Bishops are expected to make a statement at the conclusion of their discussions.
PA