Mandatory reporting of child abuse would be introduced in the Government's lifetime, the Taoiseach said. Mr Ahern was replying on the Order of Business to Mr Brendan Howlin (Lab, Wexford), who said that there was a conflict between the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, who was in favour of legislation, and the Minister of State for Health, Mr Frank Fahy, who had said it was not necessary.
Mr Ahern said there was no difficulty whatsoever between the Tanaiste and the Minister of State. Mr Fahy had wisely advised the Government and the House that they should all be aware of the complexities involved. Meanwhile, the Government accepted in principle a Fine Gael private member's Bill facilitating the reporting of abuse by any person with reasonable grounds for believing that a child was at risk.
Describing it as a "whistle blowers' charter", the Fine Gael spokesman on health and children, Mr Alan Shatter, said it was a measure which merely addressed one area of law that had for far too long been ignored by the House.
Cover was provided for those who reported suspicions of child abuse to specific non-governmental agencies such as the Irish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children and Dr Barnardos. Protection from civil litigation was also provided.
Mr Shatter said the Bill was before the House in the wake of three major court cases concerned with "the grossest and most barbaric types of child sexual abuse and child physical abuse".
There was the case relating to the McColgan children and the case of Father Ivan Payne. Referring to the Derry O'Rourke case he said they had learnt in recent days of what was suspected for some years - that the Irish Amateur Swimming Association, the sports controlling body, failed abysmally to act on reports that its employees were behaving inappropriately towards children.
"Just as we are entitled to be critical of the failures of the Irish Amateur Swimming Association we are also, I believe, entitled to be critical of the failures of the Roman Catholic Church to address the problem of paedophile priests in its midst.
"I believe we are entitled to ask how it came about that priests who were reported to have abused children were moved from one parish to another in past years and their activities covered up by those in authority.
"In the context of Father Ivan Payne finally admitting his crimes last week, I believe we are entitled to ask the church as to why this man was appointed to an extraordinarily sensitive position in the marriage tribunal in Drumcondra after it was known he had abused Andrew Madden?
"I think we are entitled to ask for public assurances that there is no one in the priesthood in this State at present who has a paedophile history and who has access to children in their work as a priest."
Mr Shatter said the law firm of which he was a member represented Andrew Madden, who had been abused by Father Payne. The firm was also currently representing two people who were seeking financial compensation as a result of alleged sexual abuse by the priest. There were in the region of 120 separate civil actions currently pending against a variety of "religious" defendants in the courts.
The Minister for Health and Children, Mr Cowen, said there were a number of problems relating to how the Bill was drafted to provide for what was a complex and specialised matter. It encouraged over-reporting, with too many bodies receiving reports of alleged abuse.
He added that a working party had been established by the Department of Education and Science, representative of all the interests in primary education, to examine the procedures for dealing with suspected abuse cases. Ms Roisin Shortall (Lab, Dublin North West) said the Bill was timely and comprehensive. Both Government parties had promised to introduce mandatory reporting at the time of the general election, portraying it as a straight-forward issue. In government, they came to realise that a more considered approach was necessary, she added.
Debate on the Bill continues tonight.