Ferns abuse inquiry given go ahead

The Government today authorised a formal inquiry into the handling by the Church of child sex abuse allegations in the diocese of Ferns.

The investigation will be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Mr Justice Frank Murphy and follows a report on the issues involved last year by senior Irish counsel George Birmingham.

Health Minister Michéal Martin said the Birmingham report had outlined the most effective way of carrying out the inquiry.

Mr Justice Murphy’s team for the probe will include two specialist members, Dr Helen Buckley, an expert on child protection issues and senior lecturer in the Department of Social Studies at Dublin’s Trinity College University, and Dr Laraine Joyce, who will be involved in reviewing the structures and management of organisations falling within the scope of the inquiry.

The minister said the terms of reference of the investigation would “facilitate a focused and effective inquiry“.

Last year, the Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey, resigned after intense criticism of the way he had dealt with child sex abuse charges against religious figures in his diocese.

The inquiry move was immediately welcomed by the One In Four victims representative group.

Spokesman Colm O’Gorman said: “We would see a very focused inquiry that looks at abuse perpetrated in the diocese of Ferns as an essential first step in uncovering how the Catholic Church responded to abuse of children by its priests - not just in Ferns, but across all the diocese of Ireland.”