Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Bishop made complaint about NBSCCC official

Ian Elliott was the subject of a complaints made by Bishop Noel Treanor
One in Four Director Maeve Lewis has described as "staggering" revelations that the Bishop of Down and Connor made a complaint against the head of the National Council for the Safeguarding of Children in the Catholic Church.

Ian Elliott was the subject of a complaints made by Bishop Noel Treanor

In a statement, Bishop Noel Treanor said he accepted the findings of a report which found there was no basis for his complaint.

Ian Elliott is head of the Catholic Church's watchdog - set up to monitor and report on how child protection guidelines are being implemented.

But newspaper reports last Sunday revealed that Mr Elliott was last year the subject of a complaint from a senior member of the Catholic hierarchy.

The Sunday Times reported that Bishop Noel Treanor complained that Ian Elliott was engaging in spin against the church during media briefing.

Retired Supreme Court Judge Catherine McGuinness conducted an investigation which concluded there was no basis for the complaint.

In a statement last Sunday Bishop Treanor said the matter which arose was a procedural one adding that he accepted the findings of the report and withdrew his assertion.

A spokesman for Mr Elliott said he would be making no comment on the matter at this time.

Ms Lewis described the revelations as insulting and staggering.

On RTÉ’s This Week Ms Lewis said actions of the Bishop of Down and Connor were extremely insulting to Ian Elliot, whom she descrbed as a man of immense integrity.

But she said it gives an insight into Church culture, a church she said was unaccustomed to being held to account for its actions in the manner which the NBSCCC was doing.