THE Taoiseach yesterday moved to clarify comments he made about the Catholic Church that were interpreted by opposition parties and victims’ organisations as a failure on his part to absorb the serious nature of the findings of the Ferns Report.

THE row between Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Tánaiste Mary Harney and PD Deputy Liz O’Donnell over the involvement of the Catholic Church in the primary education system has rekindled arguments over the relationship between Church and State in Ireland.