Child abuse nightmare - Promises to take action not enough

THERE was an unfortunate but illustrative coincidence yesterday when two strands of our national tragedy overlapped.

The Roscommon mother, who abused and neglected her six children in a bestial way, began a seven-year jail sentence as Catholic bishops were at an “emergency” meeting to discuss clerical child sexual abuse.

Cardinal Brady, who called the Maynooth meeting, is apparently determined to finally resolve this scandal. His intentions are no doubt honourable but by describing this as an “emergency” meeting you would be forgiven for imagining that the notorious paedophile, the monstrous Fr Brendan Smyth was arrested in the last 15 hours rather than 15 years ago.