Long-awaited Cloyne abuse report delayed until May

THE long-awaited report into the handling of child sex abuse cases in the Diocese of Cloyne will not be published until at least the second week in May.

The report, which was the culmination of a two-year investigation, had been due to be published this week.

However, Minister for Justice Alan Shatter confirmed yesterday that its publication has been delayed due to legal issues.

He said the Government has to treat the issue carefully and responsibly.

“I am anticipating, at the very earliest, it won’t be published till the second week in May,” he said.

The investigation was conducted by Circuit Court Judge Yvonne Murphy, who also investigated the handling of child sex abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese.

The 26-chapter Report by the Commission of Investigation was made into the handling of allegations of abuse against 19 priests in the Diocese of Cloyne.

It was completed last December.

A fortnight ago the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, cleared the way for the publication of most of its findings.

However Mr Justice Kearns said that one chapter shouldn’t be published at this stage because a criminal trial was pending against one of the priests and he took the view it might prove prejudicial to the case if the information were made public.

The investigation, which got under way in 2009, followed a damning report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children.

That board, which was established by the Catholic Church itself, found child protection practices in the Diocese of Cloyne were inadequate and, in some respects, dangerous.

Bishop John Magee, who was in charge of the Diocese of Cloyne for a number of years when child sex abuses allegations were made, resigned from his post.