Grennan case response ‘wholly unsatisfactory’
It said the alleged abuse by Father James Grennan of 10 altar girls in Monageer in 1988 was the first recorded allegation investigated by Gardaí in the diocese.
Seven of the girls, all aged 12 or 13, were interviewed by health board doctors who submitted their report to Garda Superintendent Vincent Smith, who passed it to local gardaí.
However, the subsequent garda investigation file was never sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Inquiry said an internal garda inquiry by Detective Supt Dermot Dwyer in 1996 found the original investigation was "poorly directed and displayed a marked reluctance to intervene with the clergy."
The Inquiry said the matter was not investigated fully as the senior investigating officers believed there was not sufficient corroboration to justify taking it further.
"In addition, no directions were sought from the DPP. According to the report, the defective investigation was mainly the fault of the Superintendent, although it was noted that the Chief Superintendent did not follow up the matter."
The Ferns Report said: "The Inquiry believes that the response of An Garda Síochána to the complaints made in 1988 was wholly unsatisfactory and it endorses the findings by Supt Dwyer in this regard and it regrets that the report was not forwarded to the DPP as recommended by the investigating officers."
The Inquiry said the allegations were investigated by Garda Donal Behan, assisted by Garda James Sheridan and Sergeant Jim Reynolds.
Sgt Reynolds said Supt Smith instructed him to hand over the girls' statements though they had not been typed up or copied.
Garda Behan said Supt Smith told him he had discussed the matter with Chief Supt James Doyle.
"I concluded at the time that it was just quashed and that was it," he said.
The Inquiry said Supt Smith claimed he gave the statements to Chief Supt Doyle a claim the latter rejected. Supt Smith told the Inquiry he was reluctant to prosecute and thought it would only damage the complainants further. He accepted he should have sent the file to the DPP.
Chief Supt Doyle, who was on friendly terms with Bishop Brendan Comiskey, said his only involvement was when he met the bishop in the cleric's house.
Supt Smith retired in August 1989, but said no one influenced him in relation to this decision. He told the Inquiry he had no idea what became of the statements but said he did not dispose of them.
Supt Dwyer's report recommended no charges be brought against the senior officers. It concluded there was no evidence of any Church-State collusion.
The Inquiry also criticised garda behaviour in relation to two complaints made against Fr James Doyle.
The report said that although these complaints were known to the gardaí since 1980/1981 there were no records on garda files.
In relation to Canon Martin Clancy, the Inquiry was "shocked" gardaí took no action despite the extent of abuse alleged against the priest over almost 30 years.
But the report found gardaí behaved professionally and efficiently in relation to eight cases, including Fr Sean Fortune and Monsignor Michael Ledwith.
In six cases, gardaí recommended to the DPP that prosecutions be taken and in only one case did it recommend against prosecution.
The report said the DPP directed prosecution in three cases.
Prosecutions were secured in two cases that of Fr James Doyle and Fr Donal Collins. In a third case that of Fr Fortune the accused committed suicide before the trial began.
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