The State will conduct an inquiry into the Catholic Church’s handling of allegations of clerical child sex abuse, the Minister for Health Mr Martin said tonight.
The Minister made the announcement following a meeting with three men who were abused by the late Father Sean Fortune in Kilkenny.
He said he hoped all institutions would co-operate - especially the church.
Mr Colm O’Gorman, one of the men abused by Father Fortune, who met with the minister tonight, welcomed the decision.
He told ireland.comthe "level of commitment given by the Irish Government to get to at the truth is ground-breaking."
"There is a clear commitment to use what ever powers needed to get to the truth of these cases. We are heartened by this and cautiously optimistic," he said.
Mr George Birmingham SC has been appointed to conduct an initial three-month preliminary investigation into the format that the inquiry will take. He will meet with the Attorney General Mr Michael McDowell tomorrow morning to begin the report.
Mr Birmingham will write to all the institutions and request that they disclose all information relating to allegations concerning rape and sexual abuse by diocesan clerics in Ferns, Co Wexford.
He will examine how the Garda Siochana, Department of Education, Health Board and Catholic Church dealt with complaints and allegations.
However these organisations will not be obliged to co-operate.
Mr Birmingham will then report to the new Government.
Mr O’Gorman had been joined by Mr Donnacha McGloinn and Mr Pat Jackman in demanding an inquiry into the way their claims of abuse were dealt with by the church at a meeting with the minister.
Also in attendance at the meeting were the parents of Ms Fiona Gahan, who was abused by another priest in the Ferns Diocese.
