VARIOUS institutional abuse survivor groups have been helped, supported and instructed both financially and in order to buy their compliance.

IF I withdraw money from an ATM machine, the money I requested comes out. I also get a receipt showing details of the transaction. My next bank statement will also show the date, the ATM used, and the amount I withdrew.

Education Minister Noel Dempsey has claimed that extra resources would not have helped the work of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse.

HALF of Irish people believe the Catholic Church has been permanently damaged by its response to complaints of clerical child sex abuse

CLAIMS that people who were kept in State institutions as children are lying about being abused so they can get compensation are “deeply hurtful”, a former orphanage resident said yesterday.

VICTIM support groups bitterly clashed yesterday with the Christian Brothers after the religious order said claims of abuse in its institutions were exaggerated.

VICTIMS of child abuse at the hands of Christian Brothers will generally welcome the High Court ruling that the Laffoy Commission can continue its investigation into allegations against its members who are old, incapacitated, untraceable or dead.

The Irish Survivors of child abuse have assured the Minister for Education, Noel Dempsey that there will be no threat to his safety if he agrees to meet with abuse survivor groups.

Irish Survivors of Child Abuse say they are confident there would be no threat to the safety of Minister for Education Noel Dempsey if he meets with abuse survivors' groups.

THE Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (SOCA) organisation is to step up its campaign on behalf of members in the wake of the collapse of the Laffoy Commission.

IF the weather hadn’t been so good over the summer months, Bertie Ahern would have been blamed for that as well. Frankly, given the series of intemperate personal and political attacks to which he has been subjected to over the summer months, it is surprising the Taoiseach’s approval ratings are not even worse.

THE sad and frustrating developments with regard to the Laffoy Commission come as a stark reminder of the great challenges that face our country. It will take hard work and goodwill to overcome them.

OMAGH bomb victim Michael Gallagher, following the recent meeting with Justice Minister Michael McDowell, said the minister “would not be drawn on the subject of the McNally Report”. This should send a chill down the spine of every advocate of free speech.

“THE commission will be entirely independent in performing its functions, a point specifically provided for in the Bill. Neither the Government nor anyone else will be in a position to influence its procedures or the outcomes of its inquiries.”

OPPOSITION parties have called for the Department of Education to be prevented from conducting a review of the Laffoy Commission amid claims that some of its officials were aware of abuse of children in State institutions since the 1960s.

IF ever a government walked into a deal with its eyes wide shut, the Coalition did so in its controversial decision to indemnify the Church against compensation claims from victims of child abuse.

AN inquiry team investigating how a Wexford diocese handled suspicions, rumours and confirmed cases of clerical sexual abuse will begin hearing victims’ testimony on Monday.

THE Laffoy Commission has declined to respond so far to the Government’s proposals to restart its inquiry into child abuse.

IN the fall-out from the Laffoy Commission debacle, Minister for Education Noel Dempsey has come up with what can only be described as an inspiration on how to cut down on costs, numbers and delays.

Political Reporter

ON behalf of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, I write to firmly reject the accusation that we are guilty of “bogging down the commission investigating child abuse” (Irish Examiner leading article, September 4).

THREE years ago, James Morrison flew from London to testify to the Laffoy Commission.

THE Department of Education should not be allowed to play any part in resourcing or the conduct of a re-vamped Laffoy Commission, a solicitor representing abuse victims said yesterday.

ABUSE victims are prepared to haul the Government through the courts for years to come if a swift solution to the Laffoy Commission debacle is not found.

THE effectiveness of the entire Government will be in question unless a prompt solution for the investigation of institutional abuse allegations is forthcoming, a leading abuse campaigner has said.

WHATEVER response the Government issues to the Laffoy letter following tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting, it is unlikely to satisfy all or even most of the parties affected by the judge’s resignation.

The reticence on the part of the Government to make public the letter of resignation from Ms Justice Mary Laffoy as chairperson of the commission investigating child abuse, became very clear yesterday and for the reason which most people presumed.

Political Editor Harry McGee says that while Noel Dempsey may be right in saying that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’, it is clear from the Laffoy letter of resignation that the Government can be accused of causing that very thing it claimed it wanted to avoid.

THERE are so many loose cannons rolling around the deck of the State’s ship at the moment that we will be lucky if one of them does not do some real damage one of these days.

The Taoiseach has indicated that the high levels of legal representation prompted the second review of the Laffoy Commission into child abuse.

Education Correspondent

Political Reporter

Political Reporter

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.

THE State inquiry into child abuse may cost a staggering €200 million and take up to 11 years to complete its work — if it continues to operate under its current remit.

The Survivors of Child Abuse in Ireland group (SOCA) has called for the Laffoy Commission to be replaced with a criminal inquiry into clerical child sex abuse.

Adoption Ireland are calling for the immediate resignation of the Chief Justice of The Supreme Court, Mr Ronan Keane.

AS many as 1,500 victims of institutional abuse are preparing to flood the High Court with compensation claims in a last ditch effort to get justice, a lobby group for survivors claims.

THE State investigation into vaccine trials is under threat after a retired microbiologist successfully challenged an order to give evidence of his involvement.

A YEAR after Bishop Brendan Comiskey fell on his sword in a swirl of controversy the Government has announced the terms of reference of an inquiry into how exactly allegations of child sexual abuse were handled

THERE is no information at this stage to suggest the religious acted inappropriately during a vaccine trial involving infants in their care more than 40 years ago, the Laffoy Commission heard yesterday.