REACTION:GROUPS REPRESENTING children and abuse victims welcomed the decision by the Government to refer the Diocese of Cloyne for investigation by the Dublin Archdiocese Commission, writes Carl O'Brien
But most expressed anger that the Health Service Executive (HSE) saw no need in its audit report for the dioceses handling of child sex abuse allegations to be referred for further investigation.
Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four - the group which helped bring the mishandling of the abuse cases to light in the first place - said: "We believe this may finally reveal the extent of the mishandling of allegations of child sexual abuse in the diocese."
However, it said the undertaking would be meaningless unless the experiences of people who have been abused within the diocese, and whose allegations had not been adequately handled, were taken into account.
It also restated its call on the Bishop of Cloyne to resign, saying that the bishop had confirmed to the HSE that he was operating within agreed guidelines while at the same time failing to notify the executive of a complaint of sexual abuse.
The Children's Rights Alliance, a coalition of non-governmental groups, commended the Minister for his "bravery and leadership" in making this decision, particularly in light of HSE advice to the contrary.
Its chief executive, Jillian Van Turnhout, added that the group was alarmed that all bishops had chosen not to complete the audit questionnaire, citing legal reasons.
Barnardos repeated its call for legislation to be drafted allowing for the mandatory reporting of child abuse to those statutory agencies appointed to investigate and respond to such allegations, the Garda and HSE.
"While much has been done in recent years in regards to child protection, we still have a long way to go. It is not acceptable that child protection guidelines are inconsistently implemented and that children in some areas of the country are left vulnerable to abuse," said Norah Gibbons of Barnardos.
This was echoed by the ISPCC. Its director of services, Caroline O'Sullivan, said that while individuals who failed to adequately report abuse allegations had a lot to answer for, the Government needed to lead the way we respond to allegations of child abuse.
"The only way to ensure that people take responsibility is by having mandatory reporting through putting children-first guidelines on a statutory footing," she said.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre also broadly welcomed the Minister's announcement. However, Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop, the group's chief executive, said she was "perplexed" at the HSE's recommendation not to refer the Cloyne diocese or others to the Dublin commission.