An audit of child protection measures will be conducted in every diocese in the State, the Minister of State with special responsibility for children, Mr Brian Lenihan confirmed today.
He also said proposals for an investigation into allegations of child sex abuse in the diocese of Dublin are due before the Cabinet in the next two weeks.
However, he said there were no plans at present to investigate abuse claims in any other diocese in the State.
A clearer picture of the audit suggested in the wake of this week's Ferns report emerged today as Mr Lenihan clarified that child protection measures in Church and State bodies would be checked and monitored. But this was not an audit of abuse claims but of "child protection practice", he said.
The audit will entail a review of compliance with the 1999 "Children First" guidelines by State bodies and NGOs and would be conducted by the National Children's Office, in partnership with relevant Government departments.
As part of the audit, Mr Lenihan has already written to the Bishop's Episcopal Conference seeking confirmation that the recommendations of the Ferns report will be implemented. The Health Service Executive (HSE) will also be contacting individual bishops "as a matter of urgency" to monitor child protection practices, he added.
Other measures include an amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill to include a new offence of reckless endangerment of a child. The Bill is currently at Committee stage before the Oireachtas and the amendment is due before Cabinet before the end of the year.
Speaking at the launch of the Civil Legal Aid Board annual report today, the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said he said he was studying the recommendation that legal aid be provided to abuse complainants and the alleged perpetrators, irrespective of means where the cases are not determined by the criminal courts.
"I regard the need for action on foot of the report as a major national priority and will urgently advance this and the other recommendations within my remit," Mr McDowell said.
Speaking at the launch of the second annual report of On-in-Four, the charity for abuse victims, Mr Lenihan also said a nationwide publicity and awareness campaign on child sexual abuse as recommended by the Ferns report would be developed.
The HSE, in conjunction with the National Children's Office, will oversee the campaign which will publicise a phone number for reporting child abuse.
The Ferns inquiry, which was non-statutory, would be a template for the Dublin inquiry, Mr Lenihan said, but the terms of reference would need to be in line with the Commissions of Inquiry Act 2004. Proposals were due before the Cabinet in a fortnight, he said.
However, Mr Lenihan heard frustration at the delay in establishing the Dublin inquiry expressed at today's One-in Four launch.
He was challenged by Marie Collins who was abused by Fr Paul McGennis in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in 1960. The priest was jailed for 18 months after admitting to abuse at the hospital.
She said an inquiry into the Dublin diocese had been promised in 2002 and again in 2004. "From a victim's point of view the delay is just more suffering," Mrs Collins said.
Mr Lenihan said: "The terms of reference have to be drafted and then brought before the Government ... [but] as far as the basic commitment is concerned, to have the inquiry in the Dublin archdiocese that will proceed."
He also said the Government had not ruled out inquiries into abuse claims in other diocese in the future.