O’Donnell attacks Church-State ties

Progressive Democrat TD Liz O’Donnell launched an extraordinary attack on the Catholic Church yesterday.

She said the abuses uncovered in the Ferns report must result in an end to the Church’s “special relationship” with the State.

In a criticism of the Church’s “systematic maladministration and dereliction of duty to protect children,” the PD chief whip also urged an end to the Church’s overall control of most schools.

“The same institution that has been found so wanting, effectively decides who is suitable or not to work in our children’s schools,” she said, adding that the Church should not be consulted on issues like IVF, abortion, stem cell, contraception, adoption, homosexuality or civil marriage.

If the Hierarchy was a cabinet, it would have to resign or be thrown out of office, she said.

“The Church is neither democratic or accountable. In many ways, it is a secret organisation with its own diplomatic service, civil service, laws and self-regulatory codes, which have all failed the public.” She also called for an audit of the Church’s wealth.

“Given the nature and extent of the wrongdoing of this institution against citizens, the Church should be obliged to open up its books. Discovery orders should be made to gain some understanding of the money trail,” she said.

Ms O’Donnell said victims, family members, friends, politicians, gardaí and judges must not be afraid to speak out.

She referred to women isolated and condemned in Magdalene laundries, the non-extradition of paedophile priest Brendan Smyth, the millions paid out by the Archdiocese of Dublin in private settlements and the “immoral silence of the Vatican on the Ferns Report”.

Fine Gael Education spokesperson Olwyn Enright said the abuses must never be repeated.

“This amounted to an institutional disregard for the needs of children and young people, by people in whom the public had placed the utmost trust, and this must never be allowed to happen again,” she said.