Connect, the National Adults Counselling Service, reported a 37% increase in calls during 2009 receiving 8,264 calls compared to 6,020 in 2008 and 4,630 in 2007.

Counsellors were today bracing themselves for an onslaught of crisis calls after the latest horrific revelations of a Catholic Church cover-up of clerical sex abuse.

AN out-of-hours phone counselling service received 1,400 more calls last year than in 2007, according to new statistics.

A CHARITY which provides support to people who have experienced sexual abuse, is reporting a surge in calls over the mishandling of the Cloyne abuse report.