‘Taoiseach didn’t see fit at the time to establish national inquiry’

A VICTIM of clerical abuse has criticised Taoiseach Bertie Ahern for being “populist” in his rush to recommend a nationwide investigation into child sex abuse by priests.

Andrew Madden, who was sexually abused by Dublin priest Fr Ivan Payne, claimed Mr Ahern had dismissed his calls seven years ago for a similar national inquiry into the Catholic church’s handling of allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests.

He has also complained about a four-year delay by the Justice Minister Michael McDowell in establishing a promised inquiry into the behaviour of church authorities in the archdiocese of Dublin.