Government under fire after probe judge quits

The Government tonight faced down demands for a recall of the Dáil following the shock resignation of the judge heading a commission probing the effects of child abuse at religious and other institutions.

Ms Justice Mary Laffoy, a senior member of the High Court, quit a day after the Government directed a review of the commission’s work following claims that it would cost up to €200m and take as long as 11 years to complete.

Her departure was announced on the commission’s website and gave no explanation for the move, but the judge said she had explained her reasons for going in a letter to the Government.

The development – part of one of the most emotive issues on the present-day political scene – dominated today’s first post-summer holiday session of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s cabinet, initially convened at a Government-owned stately home in Co Laois with the aiming of reviewing preparations for Ireland’s six-month presidency of the European Union next year.

The Government afterwards said “a considered response” would be delivered to the judge next week.

Calls for an early return of the Dáil, which is not due to sit again until the end of the month after its long summer break, were led by opposition parties.

The Green Party said the Dáil should be recalled to debate the problems that have beset the commission and how it should be proceed in the future.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said Mr Ahern should take personal responsibility for the commission in light of the “ham-fisted” handling of the issue by Education Minister Noel Dempsey.

Mr Kenny added: “The victims of the abuse require no less than the Taoiseach take personal responsibility for this debacle and move swiftly to reassure the victims that ministerial mishandling will not get in the way of their achieving justice.

“We need to debate the issues openly and honestly in the Dáil.”

Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Mr Dempsey defended his department’s co-operation with the Laffoy Commission, and insisted that he had discussed his proposed review of its workings with the chairperson before he announced the review.

Mr Dempsey said he was as surprised as anyone else by Ms Justice Laffoy’s departure, which had “come out of the blue“.

While he had known of her reservations about the review he had no indication that she was likely to resign.

The minister said his department had been instructed to cooperate fully with the Laffoy Commission and had provided half a million documents to it.

Mr Dempsey also referred to what he called “a very adversarial approach taken by those accused of abusing victims” which had made it very difficult for the investigation.

The investigative work of the commission has been suspended following the resignation and Ms Justice Laffoy will leave her position once the new review of its work is completed in November.

In the wake of the row, a representative of abuse victims spoke of her respect for the departing judge and called on Mr Dempsey himself to resign.

Christine Buckley, of the Aislinn organisation for survivors of abuse, said the only way to save the commission was for the Government to persuade the judge to return with the assistance of two other colleagues and extra staff.

Colm O’Gorman, of the One in Four organisation, urged Mr Ahern to live up to his parliamentary statement of apology to victims of residential abuse and publish all correspondence relating to the resignation.