Groups representing survivors of clerical child sex abuse in the Dublin Catholic archdiocese will be briefed on the the report into the church's handling of abuse allegations prior to its publication today.Taoiseach Brian Cowen told the Dáil that Department of Justice officials had arranged to brief the groups this morning and that the report would be made available to the media at a press conference in the afternoon.
Survivors of abuse were previously critical of the fact that the Ryan report into abuse of children in institutions throughout the State was made available to media before they saw it when it was published in May.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore asked that the 750-page report also be made available to members of the Dáil "certainly not later than it is made available to the press conference".
Mr Cowen said he would arrange to make the report available after victims’ groups have been briefed, and at the time of its publication.
The Cabinet was briefed yesterday by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern on the report.
Plans to publish it earlier than today were changed because of yesterday’s public sector strike.
There were concerns that helplines would not be available for people who had suffered abuse.
In the High Court on Thursday last the report was cleared for publication, following some edits, by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan after a series of in camera hearings.
The commission of investigation report for the Dublin archdiocese deals with the handling of abuse allegations against a sample of 46 priests between 1975 and 2004 and was presented to the Mr Ahern last July.
The commission, chaired by Judge Yvonne Murphy and assisted by barrister Ita Mangan and solicitor Hugh O’Neill, began its inquiry in March 2006.
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