We can make our children safer by diverting a few million from roads

HERE’S a daft idea. Instead of building 300km of roads next year, let’s build 280km instead. And use the money we save to make sure that nothing like the Ferns scandal can ever happen again. Let’s make our kids safe.

Because we'd save an awful lot, not by stopping the roads building programme, but just by slowing it down a little. It costs about €4 million to build one kilometre of road. If we were to build 20 kilometres less a year, we could devote €80m to ensuring that our kids never had to live alone with the fear of a sexual predator. Or live with the consequences of contact with one.

What could we do with €80m if we saved it this way (or any other)? What do we need to do? First of all, we need to complete the investigations. We need to know in how many other dioceses there are still people hiding under the authority of the Church.