Ferns child sex abuse report delayed until March

The inquiry into clerical child sex abuse in the diocese of Ferns has reportedly been forced to delay its report into the matter until next March.

Reports this morning said the document was expected to have been presented to Health Minister Mary Harney before Christmas.

However, due to difficulties in locating witnesses and to some further investigations being conducted, the inquiry has been forced to delay the report until March at the earliest.

Yesterday, the diocese of Ferns confirmed that two former priests in the area – believed to be James Doyle and Donal Collins - had been dismissed from the church by the Pope in light of their convictions for child sex abuse.