One In Four sees doubling of abuse-survivor calls

Sexual abuse support group One In Four dealt with twice the number of abuse survivors last year in the wake of the Murphy and Ryan reports, according to its annual report.

The 2009 report shows 1,432 victims contacted the service, compared with 672 the previous year.

The vast majority of clients needed help in contacting gardaí, reporting child protection concerns to the HSE and engaging with the Catholic Church.

One in Four director Maeve Lewis said high-profile cases such as the release of sex offender Larry Murphy showed that Ireland was not a safe country for children.

"Unless we put in place accessible treatment programmes for sex offenders, child protection is always going to be a concern," she said.