No reason not to report suspected abuse

IN his letter (July 19), John McKeever argues for the maintenance of the confessional seal and against the introduction of mandatory reporting of child abuse.

One of the factors that lead him to this conclusion is the inefficiency of the HSE in investigating reports and the workload of social workers.

This is not a justification for not reporting suspected abuse. If the resources are not available to investigate complaints then perhaps this will be a rationale used by the HSE for not carrying out specific investigations. That is a problem for the HSE and the minister to resolve. Nobody should take it upon themselves to reduce the burden on the state bodies by not reporting suspected abuse. The HSE will need to increase the efficiency with which it prioritises and investigates such complaints. The Church need not concern themselves unduly with the practical repercussions for the HSE. They have enough problems of their own to sort out.