ONLY one of 14 priests of the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnois against whom allegations of child sexual abuse were made was convicted of an offence.
That priest is since deceased as are all but one of 12 of the remaining whose names were made known to the authorities.
A 14th man against whom allegations were made to gardaí was not named to the diocese.
A further two priests from outside the diocese against whom allegations were made are now living within the diocese but as they are not formally attached to it, their cases were not part of the review.
The review into the diocese responsible for much Longford, Leitrim and Offaly, finds that while its current approach to child protection is "laudable", there was evidence that this was not always so.
This evidence came particularly from the designated person acting as a point of contact for people wishing to report allegations. "He was able to recall advice that had previously been given to the Church that the approach to recording should emphasise the minimum rather than seek to be full in its content."
It also states that the diocese was not up to date on its paperwork. "Like many dioceses, Ardagh and Clonmacnois have not to date completed the Diocesan Audit set out in the Safeguarding Children: Standards and Guidance document and forwarded this on an annual basis to the National Office for Safeguarding Children."
This forms the key recommendation in the review which also calls for better direction for parish safeguarding representatives, and an annual meeting between them, parish priests and safeguarding trainers, to eliminate what it describes as "a degree of confusion around their roles".
Another recommendation is that Bishop Colm O’Reilly, should formally ask the HSE and Garda to biannual meetings to improve their joint approach to child protection.
This followed a remark by Bishop O’Reilly who told the reviewers that while relations with the HSE were well structured, it was harder to replicate that with the gardaí because of the many different personnel and policing districts that fell within the diocesan borders.
Bishop O’Reilly in response said he wanted to express his sorrow at how victims of abuse had been made to suffer. "One cannot but be conscious at this time of the fact that people who suffered because of wrong doing by Church personnel will be affected by having to think again about an experience which pained them deeply.
"It is my hope that this pain will be lessened by the knowledge that their lives can move into a new phase when some at least of the past can be left behind."
A further two priests from outside the diocese against whom allegations were made are now living within the diocese but as they are not formally attached to it, their cases were not part of the review.
The review into the diocese responsible for much Longford, Leitrim and Offaly, finds that while its current approach to child protection is "laudable", there was evidence that this was not always so.
This evidence came particularly from the designated person acting as a point of contact for people wishing to report allegations. "He was able to recall advice that had previously been given to the Church that the approach to recording should emphasise the minimum rather than seek to be full in its content."
It also states that the diocese was not up to date on its paperwork. "Like many dioceses, Ardagh and Clonmacnois have not to date completed the Diocesan Audit set out in the Safeguarding Children: Standards and Guidance document and forwarded this on an annual basis to the National Office for Safeguarding Children."
This forms the key recommendation in the review which also calls for better direction for parish safeguarding representatives, and an annual meeting between them, parish priests and safeguarding trainers, to eliminate what it describes as "a degree of confusion around their roles".
Another recommendation is that Bishop Colm O’Reilly, should formally ask the HSE and Garda to biannual meetings to improve their joint approach to child protection.
This followed a remark by Bishop O’Reilly who told the reviewers that while relations with the HSE were well structured, it was harder to replicate that with the gardaí because of the many different personnel and policing districts that fell within the diocesan borders.
Bishop O’Reilly in response said he wanted to express his sorrow at how victims of abuse had been made to suffer. "One cannot but be conscious at this time of the fact that people who suffered because of wrong doing by Church personnel will be affected by having to think again about an experience which pained them deeply.
"It is my hope that this pain will be lessened by the knowledge that their lives can move into a new phase when some at least of the past can be left behind."