A report following a review of the workings of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is to be published in Dublin later today. Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent, reports.
The review took place following a request by the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, last September, and was conducted by then senior counsel Mr Seán Ryan, also former counsel to the Ferns inquiry. It followed Mr Ryan's appointment as successor to Ms Justice Mary Laffoy on her resignation as chair of the commission. Mr Dempsey also said then that Mr Ryan would be appointed a judge of the High Court so he would have equal status with his predecessor as chair of the commission.
Last month Mr Ryan was appointed to the High Court and took over as chair of the commission when Ms Justice Laffoy's resignation came into effect.
Under the terms of the review, he has been requested by the Government to conduct a detailed look at the commission's work, with particular reference to the interests of abuse victims and the necessity to complete the investigation within a reasonable period. He was also asked to produce proposals that would not incur exorbitant costs.
Since Mr Dempsey told groups representing abuse survivors that the option of hearing only sample cases was no longer on the agenda, it has remained uncertain how Mr Justice Ryan proposes to reduce both the duration and expense of the investigation.
With an estimated 1,700 cases outstanding in the investigations committee branch of the commission as of September 2003, it had been speculated, in a context where the commission did not change its methods, that committee hearings could take up to 11 years, with legal costs estimated at €200 million.
Explaining her resignation, Ms Laffoy said she felt her efforts were being stymied by a lack of resources and co-operation from the Government.
Announcing the review, Mr Dempsey gave an assurance that Government Departments would give Mr Justice Ryan every assistance and told survivors that the work of the commission would assist them "in finding closure in a timely manner". He also said that if Mr Justice Ryan's review called for amendments to the legislation governing the commission, that would be considered.
The commission signed off on an interim report last month. It is widely expected to criticise the Government's stewardship of the investigation. It is expected to be published by January 30th.
Meanwhile, in a statement after media reports this week of a High Court judgment on rules and procedures of the commission following a challenge by the Christian Brothers, the Brothers said there was a failure to mention "the three declarations and other significant findings" made in the judgment, and to note that Mr Justice Abbott added a fourth declaration.
He had also ruled that the investigation committee had acted beyond its powers and that the Brothers were not premature in taking their action.