Cloyne clergy ‘enthusiastically’ pursue child safety

CLERGY in the Cloyne diocese are now “enthusiastically” pursuing child safeguarding measures, according to the national watchdog responsible for monitoring new child safety policies in the Church.

According to the National Board for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church (NBSC), the Government is understood to be looking at introducing similar vetting procedures as exist in the North, but stressed that there were serious deficiencies in child support services that need to be addressed.

In publishing its new guidelines and standards for protecting children from abuse within the Church, NBSC chairman Aidan Canavan and chief executive Ian Elliott said the Church will now undergo a “methodical review” of existing child safeguarding measures in each diocese by the NBSC. Mr Canavan said he was satisfied that the Church would provide complete access to data and personnel.