Woods defends Church deal role

FORMER education minister Michael Woods has refused to accept any blame for the controversial clerical child abuse compensation scheme he helped broker with the Catholic Church.

Mr Woods, who is back in the limelight again after joining the exodus of senior Fianna Fáilers who will not contest the looming general election, insisted he did the right thing.

He defended his central role in the controversial 2002 deal which capped Catholic Church payments at €127 million — barely a tenth of the €1.3 billion liability.