Attorney General receives clerical sex abuse report

The Attorney General, Rory Brady, has received the report of the inquiry into clerical sex abuse in the Diocese of Ferns in the south-east region.

The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, reviewed the report yesterday and forwarded it to Mr Brady.

The inquiry was formally launched in September 2003 and chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Frank Murphy.

It examined allegations of sex abuse against certain members of the clergy in the south-east, and how the Catholic Church and the State dealt with those allegations.

The Attorney General will examine the report for potentially libellous remarks to ensure that no-one implicated in the findings can take action for compensation against the State.

The report will be put before the Cabinet for consideration and it is expected that it will be made public in the next two weeks.