Abuse victims meet ministers

Victims of clerical sex abuse are holding talks today with two Cabinet Ministers.

The Minister for Health, Micheal Martin, is hoping to set the terms of reference for the non-statutory Inquiry into clerical sex abuse in the Diocese of Ferns.

A Inquiry, to be headed by Justice Frank Murphy, will be able to design its own procedures as recommended in the Birmingham Report.

Meanwhile, victims groups in the Dublin Archdiocese including Colm O'Gorman from the child abuse charity group One in Four will meet the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell.

They are expected to press him for a Garda inquiry into the actions of Cardinal Desmond Connell and abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese.

The Minister will have to decide if a similar inquiry is sufficient for Dublin or whether a Garda Inquiry into the actions of Cardinal Connell and others is needed.