The Department of Education has been severely criticised for the way in which it has dealt with requests from the Laffoy inquiry into institutional child abuse.
Commission chairwoman, Ms Justice Laffoy, said today confidence in the inquiry was being "sapped" by the manner in which the Department engaged with the body.
But the Department told ireland.comthere was no lack of will on its behalf in aiding the work of the Commission.
A spokesman said he appreciated the frustration of Justice Laffoy but the volume of documentation required was enormous as it stretched back some 60 years and pertained to more than 400 institutions.
One particular order related to every occurrence of alleged abuse which involved more than 1.5 million records, he said.
Ms Laffoy extended a deadline for the disclosure of documents by the Department by eight weeks from April 30th to June 27th.
The Department had requested a 16-week extension to assemble the documentation..
But Ms Laffoy said anyone with a "smidgen of foresight" would have realised months ago the Commission would need full disclosure of documents relating to these institutions.
Meanwhile Justice Laffoy today gave no indication when the inquiry would begin public hearings. With the deadline for disclosure extended to June 27th, it is unlikely they will begin before the Autumn.
