Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has strongly defended the role of the Catholic Church in Irish society.
Mr Ahern said that while there was a genuine sense of disappointment at the recent revelations of child abuse, the Catholic Church was an important part of civil society.
Speaking after an address to the Association of European Journalists in Dublin today, he said in many areas "we owe a great debt of gratitude to all churches and all faith communities for the contribution they have made to this country over the years. The Church is an important part of civil society and is critical to the faith, values and identity of many citizens."
The Taoiseach also said the Church's role in managing some 3,200 primary schools in the State was indispensable. "If they were to pull tomorrow, we wouldn't be able to manage the education system. They are instrumental to it and that is the reality of it."
Mr Ahern's comments follow a call yesterday by Progressive Democrat backbencher Liz O'Donnell for the so called "special relationship" between church and state to be ended. Ms O'Donnell said the church's control of education needed to be radically addressed in the wake of the report into clerical sex abuse in the Ferns diocese.
"The track record is such that we cannot accept that the church will be truthful or capable of self-regulation," she said. Ms O'Donnell condemned "the deafening and unbelievable immoral silence of the Vatican on the Ferns report".
Victim support group One in Four said the Taoiseach's comments were "ill-timed and poorly judged" Colm O'Gorman said he presumed Mr Ahern had either not read the Ferns report or had yet to grasp its significance.
He publicly called for a meeting with the Taoiseach to challenge hisunderstanding of the issues surrounding the Ferns report.
"We want to communicate to him the real sense of how people feel followingthe publication of the report," he said. "It's devastation, it's outrage, it's shame and it's revulsion - there are many strong feelings running through the country now, but disappointment isn't one of them," he said.
Mr Ahern also referred to part of Ms O'Donnell's Dail speech in which she said the 'cosy phonecalls' from All Hallow's priest training college to Government Buildings must stop.
Mr Ahern said his family had a special association with the college as his father worked there for over 50 years and his own house was named 'All Hallows'. "I do ring and I will ring All Hallows so I'm going to make apologies to nobody including Liz O'Donnell for being in touch with All Hallows," he said.
Earlier, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, told the Dail that the State's relationship with the Catholic Church should be dispersed to include mature dialogue with all faiths and religions.
"The draft Constitutional Treaty during our EU presidency states it is the intention of all governments in the EU to continue with a very legitimate dialogue between the faith communities in their societies and governments on the basis of a mature relationship which we seek with all faiths in this pluralist society."