High Court to decide on clerical abuse report

The Justice Minister Alan Shatter is to apply to the High Court for directions concerning publication of a report into child sex abuse allegations in the diocese of Cloyne.

The report looks at the handling of allegations of clerical abuse between 1996 and 2009.

The commission of investigation was set up by the previous Justice minister Dermot Ahern and its report has been ready since last December.

It looks at how the Church and State handled allegations of clerical sexual abuse in the Cloyne diocese which covers most of Co Cork between 1996 and 2009.

There are 27 chapters in the report dealing with 19 clerics.

Today the President of the High Court will be asked to give directions as to its publication.

When the Murphy Report into abuse in Dublin was released the court blocked publication of Chapter 19 because it dealt with former priest and Elvis impersonator Tony Walsh and a prosecution against him was still live.