Health Minister hints at priest sex abuse inquiry

The Government looks set to order an official inquiry into child sex abuse allegations against the late Father Sean Fortune.

Earlier this week, Bishop of Ferns Dr Brendan Comiskey resigned after strong criticism of the way he handled the affair.

Tonight, backing for an investigation was signalled by Health Minister Micheal Martin.

In Kilkenny for a private meeting with Fr Fortune's victims, he said he would personally like to see an inquiry going ahead, and planned to discuss the various options with the victims of the abuse.

The minister declared: ``I would like to see the truth emerge and closure being brought to this issue for those who were abused. But let's get the format right.''

Mr Martin's meeting went ahead as new reports of child sex abuse allegations emerged in the diocese of Cork and Ross and Limerick.

In a separate development this evening, the church leadership said the bishops would meet collectively ``as soon as possible'' for urgent discussions in the light of recent events.

The Fortune case re-emerged as a new central point of embarrassment in the long-running sex abuse issue for the Catholic church in Ireland after a BBC TV programme last month which was re-shown on RTE earlier this week.

Pressure for a full, government-backed investigation was intensified by now-adult victims of the priest at a news conference in Dublin yesterday.

At the same time, Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne pledged full co-operation on the part of his force with any inquiry authorised by the government.

Earlier this week, following the TV programme, other people came forward to say they had been abused by Fr Fortune.

Dr Comiskey flew to Rome earlier this week to formalise his resignation with the Vatican authorities.

But the three victims who took part in the TV programme, Colm O'Gorman, Donnacha Mac Gloinn and Pat Jackman, have urged the ``scapegoated'' Bishop to stay in place to assist an investigation.

Mr O'Gorman said: ``Whilst we acknowledge that he was in an untenable position we regret that he resigned before finally responding to our requests for a full and frank disclosure of the church's role in this whole affair.''

Some victims, he added, had written to the Pope calling on him to reject the resignation.

He maintained: ``We have simply sought answers to questions that we believe the Church has a moral and legal duty to answer.''

The three men also demanded answers from Cardinal Archbishop Desmond Connell, president of the Irish Episcopal Conference, his deputy Archbishop Sean Brady and the Pope as to how much the church knew of Fr Fortune's crimes before he was finally arrested.

Fr Fortune killed himself with a cocktail of drink and drugs in 1999, escaping trial.