Ahern hits back on church/state relationship

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, tonight sharply rebuked a Government backbencher’s calls to end the special relationship between the state and the Catholic Church in the wake of the damning Ferns Report.

Progressive Democrat TD Liz O’Donnell yesterday launched a scathing attack on bishops and priests and said the damning Ferns Report on clerical child sex abuse should finally end the cosy ties between the Government and the Catholic hierarchy.

She added that the Catholic Church was like a secret society which had failed to protect the nation’s children and couldn’t be trusted or believed anymore.

But Mr Ahern admitted tonight that there was a genuine disappointment among the public at the Ferns Report and an acknowledgement of the hurt and anger of the clerical sex abuse victims.

He added: “Without the input of the church or religious communities we would never have come so far today.

“In many areas we owe a great debt of gratitude to all churches and all faith communities for the contribution they have made to this country over the years.

"The Church is an important part of civil society and is critical to the faith, values and identity of many citizens.”

Mr Ahern also told an audience at the Association of European Journalists that most of the country’s 3,200 primary schools were owned by the church.

“We cannot overlook the unpaid work of the churches in the management and control of schools today.

“If they were to pull tomorrow, we wouldn’t be able to manage the education system. They are instrumental to it and that is the reality of it.”

He also referred to part of Ms O’Donnell’s Dáil speech in which she said the ’cosy phonecalls’ from All Hallow’s priest training college to Government Buildings must stop.

Mr Ahern said his family had a special association with the college as his father worked there for over 50 years and his own house was named All Hallows.

“I do ring and I will ring All Hallows so I’m going to make apologies to nobody including Liz O’Donnell for being in touch with All Hallows,” he said.

Earlier, Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, speaking on behalf of the Government, told the Dáil that the state’s relationship with the Catholic Church should be dispersed to include mature dialogue with all faiths and religions.

Mr Cowen also described yesterday’s calls by coalition colleague Ms O’Donnell to cut ties with the Catholic hierarchy as "illiberal".

The Tullamore TD said: “The draft Constitutional Treaty during our EU presidency states it is the intention of all governments in the EU to continue with a very legitimate dialogue between the faith communities in their societies and governments on the basis of a mature relationship which we seek with all faiths in this pluralist society.

“I would regard it as a thoroughly illiberal idea that such a dialogue shouldn’t take place.”

Ms O’Donnell yesterday told the Dáil during a special parliamentary debate on the Ferns Report: “This report will change forever the special relationship that has existed for many decades between church and state.

The Dublin TD added: “It was extremely influential in terms of outcome. It must end absolutely. Only then can the state act as it should, as we go forward objectively.”

The former junior minister, who admitted she had irreconcilable differences with the Catholic Church, said she had received a “mauling” for criticising the church authorities in 2001 for transferring paedophile priests – a charge which had been comprehensively borne out by the Ferns Report.