Agencies inundated with calls

AGENCIES providing support services for victims of abuse are dealing with a new wave of anguish caused by revelations thrown up by the latest clerical abuse probe.

The Health Service Executive’s National Counselling Service Help Desk had received 260 calls by 6pm yesterday evening.

HSE director of counselling for Dublin mid-Leinster, Rachel Mooney, said the health authority was working with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Faoiseamh, Connect, and One in Four to ensure survivors of abuse can access the service they feel is right for them.

Trained counsellors with the HSE national counselling service and Faoiseamh, a HSE-funded support service for people abused by priests or religious were manning the health authority’s help desk that will be operating seven days a week from 8am to 2am for up to two weeks.

“I would say 95% of the calls are in relation to clerical abuse and are a direct reaction to the Murphy Report,” she said.

Rape Crisis Centre chief executive Ellen O’Malley Dunlop said they had received 250 calls 26 hours after the report was published.

Ms O’Malley Dunlop said it was crucial that the services were able to respond to people who were affected by the scandal.