Fine Gael and Labour last night demanded responsibility for the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse be transferred from the Department of Education to the Department of the Taoiseach.
Fine Gael's education spokeswoman, Ms Olwyn Enright, said last night that the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, had "lost all credibility" in the matter. She said responsibility for the commission should be transferred to the Department of the Taoiseach immediately.
She said neither Mr Dempsey nor his predecessor Dr Michael Woods properly resourced the commission, nor enabled the Department to respond to the commission properly.
Labour's spokeswoman Ms Jan O'Sullivan said: "There is a clear conflict of interest in terms of the Department's role. It provides the resources for the commission, but its own role is also the subject of investigation by the commission."
Groups representing former residents of industrial schools and orphanages have also called for the Department to be removed from its oversight role in relation to the commission.
Mr Colm O'Gorman of One in Four said it was now "impossible" for the Department to continue in its current role. He also said questions remain as to the reasons behind the approach of the Department to complying with discovery orders.
"I think somebody has to explain why a High Court judge had to resort to statutory powers to call the secretary general of the Department to a hearing over its failure to respond to orders of discovery".
Ms Christine Buckley from the Aislinn Centre said Ms Justice Laffoy "rightly castigates" the Department.
Mr John Kelly of Irish SOCA (Survivors of Child Abuse) commended Miss Justice Laffoy's report. He believed, in relation to the Department of Education, that the "damage is irreversible".
"If we are to bring back confidence and trust in this whole procedure we will have to have the removal of the Department of Education from its role," he said.