Proposed law a clear message on abuse

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald announced yesterday that the Government plans to make it mandatory for everybody, including priests, to pass on details of suspected child abuse to the authorities.

Under a bill being drawn up by Justice Minister Alan Shatter, priests could be jailed for up to five years for failing to disclose information of sexual offences against children, even if this information was obtained during Confession.

There was a famous case back in 1945 when Fr W Behan, the parish priest of Ballybunion, was fined for refusing to testify in court. He claimed privilege as a priest.