O’Gorman repeats criticism of Taoiseach’s church defence

The director of the One In Four support group for child abuse victims has reiterated his criticism of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's recent comments supporting the Catholic Church.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin this morning, Bertie Ahern defended his remarks supporting the role of the church in Irish education.

Mr Ahern's remarks were widely criticised as ill-timed and insensitive, given the recent Ferns Report on clerical child sex abuse in Co Wexford.

One In Four director Colm O'Gorman said at the time that the good deeds of many priests should never be used to balance out the crimes committed by others.

"My concern following the Taoiseach's statement was that I felt it was important that we didn't simply respond to this issue by creating some kind of balance sheet where on one side we place the undoubted positive contribution of many within the Catholic church whilst on the other side we attempt to somehow negate or minimise the damage done to many within Irish society by the failure of the institutional church to properly and appropriately prevent clerical sexual abuse," he said.