The Irish representative on the Vatican’s new child protection council said "it would have been better" for the survivors of abuse by Brendan Smyth if Cardinal Sean Brady had resigned two years ago.

The Pope will announce the successor to the head of the Catholic church in Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady today.

The Pope has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Desmond Connell from his role as Archbishop of Dublin.

The Survivors of Child Abuse in Ireland have given a cautions welcome to comments made by the Dublin’s next Archbishop.