Remove Bishops As School Patrons: Labour

The Labour leader Eamon Gilmore has called on the Government to reconsider the role of Bishops implicated in the Murphy report as patrons of Ireland's schools.

Following the release of Murphy Commission's report into clerical sex abuse in he Archdiocese of Dublin the Labour leader said in the Daíl yesterday that it was time for the Government to stand up and say "no".

"People who have been found to have neglected their duty and not to have followed up on complaints which were made about the serious abuse of children should not continue to be in powerful positions in respect of schools young children are attending," Mr Gilmore said.

Mr Gilmore's comments come as Taoiseach Brian Cowen unexpectedly defended the Vatican’s dealings with the Commission, after revelations yesterday that the Papal Nuncio of Ireland had refused to participate in the commission's Investigation.

During a detailed statement to the Dáil, Mr Cowen explained that the Vatican representative had responded to the Commission's request for vital information on cases of child sex abuse by "diplomatic note", which was sent to the Irish Embassy, then passed on to the Department of Foreign Affairs and, later, to the commission.

Mr Cowen seemed satisfied by the Holy See's response, saying: "The commission and the Holy See, it appears, acted in good faith in this matter, even if the best outcome was not achieved."

However Eamon Gilmore said the reply confirmed senior figures in the church failed, and in respect of the note, appeared to fail to grasp the urgency of what was at stake, which was the widespread abuse of children.

(DW/BMcC)