GROUPS representing child abuse victims have called on the Government to revisit “every” compensation case with a new expert advisory board.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen will go into talks with the religious orders this week demanding that they pay half the cost of compensating and supporting abuse survivors.

THE showdown between Taoiseach Brian Cowen and the 18 religious orders which signed the controversial 2002 child abuse indemnity deal is to take place next Thursday — a day after he meets survivors’ groups to hear their demands for an appropriate response from both Church and state.

ELDERLY nuns, priests and brothers who abused children in religious run institutions could face trial in the courts after a groundswell of support by the authorities for criminal investigations into their behaviour.

ONE of the country’s largest religious orders has pledged to make more funds available to help former residents of its residential institutions who were abused while in care.

VICTIMS of institutional child abuse yesterday led the chorus of condemnation and anger over the findings of the report by the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, on what was described as a “shameful day for Ireland”.

FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has revealed efforts were made to silence his apology on behalf of the State to survivors of institutional child abuse.

MORE young people than ever are arriving into hospital accident and emergency departments having collapsed or suffering with severe chest pain as a direct fallout from drug misuse, a substance abuse expert has warned.

THE Law Society has hit back at the abuse victims compensation board for saying it could have done more to stop solicitors overcharging vulnerable clients.

THE Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is to begin public hearings into allegations of abuse at an industrial school for girls in Co Longford when it resumes in the New Year.

The Government tonight faced down demands for a recall of the Dáil following the shock resignation of the judge heading a commission probing the effects of child abuse at religious and other institutions.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has called on the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, to take personal responsibility for the resignation of Justice Mary Laffoy as chair of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.

SURVIVORS of abuse in children’s residential institutions have said plans by the Laffoy Commission to interview people who were not abused will make nonsense of the commission’s work.

DRUG screening programmes in schools will do little to curb the number of teenagers ending up in rehab, the director of the country’s only adolescent treatment centre said yesterday.

SURVIVORS of child abuse have criticised a legal challenge by a religious order to prevent the Laffoy Commission from naming and shaming their members.