Ombudsman suspends audit of child abuse cases

THE Ombudsman for Children is to meet with the Health Service Executive (HSE) tomorrow after she announced she was suspending her audit of its handling of clerical child abuse cases over an alleged lack of co-operation.

Ombudsman Emily Logan announced her decision to suspend the audit four months after it began, after claiming her office had not been provided with the relevant documentation it requested from the HSE.

Ms Logan said she could not rule out other options open to her if the row cannot be resolved, including bringing a special report on the matter before the Oireachtas or launching legal action compelling the HSE to release the documents.