ARCHBISHOP of Dublin Diarmuid Martin last night cranked up the pressure on senior clerics at the centre of the growing controversy over child sexual abuse.Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray has been under severe pressure to resign after a state inquiry labelled his failure to investigate a paedophile priest -- during his time as an auxiliary bishop in the Dublin archdiocese -- "inexcusable".
Last night Archbishop Martin said he was writing to all the clerics in Judge Murphy's report indicating he was not happy with their replies to the Murphy Commission's findings.
"What I want is that all those who exercise responsibility in this regard within the Dublin diocese, that they provide an answer to the people, the faithful of the Dublin diocese, and also an answer that my priests can stand up on Sunday in front of their congregrations, and say that I am satisfied."
"I believe the people of the Archdiocese of Dublin in which this abuse took place have a right to have these questions addressed today from those who bore responsibility at that time.
"I can't ask my priests to stand up in front of their congregations on Sunday unless they have answers that they genuinely feel they can stand over."
He said the moving around of priests was "unjustifiable".
"It is not enough to say that this is a matter for other diocese where they are now," he later told RTE's 'Prime Time' show.
The archbishop also highlighted a need to establish a stronger leadership in the Catholic Church in Ireland. "I found, for example, in the days after the report only two Bishops lifted their telephones to say to me, 'are you ok?' It is not that we have been behind closed doors making plans," he said.
All this came came It came as a victim of the priest who Dr Murray is accused of failing to investigate properly demanded the bishop resign.
Mervyn Rundle, who received compensation and an apology from the Catholic Church in 2002, said: "He absolutely should resign, it is the least he could do," he said, adding he would not have become a victim of abuse during his youth if the bishop had "done his job".
Andrew Madden, who served as an alter boy in Cabra, Dublin, where he was abused by Fr Ivan Payne, said: "I do think any bishop in Dublin between 1975 and 2004, regardless of whether they were named in the report or found to have done anything wrong, should resign." Mr Madden said the least he would have expected on foot of the report was senior figures being relieved of their roles.
He said the Catholic Church had been engaged in "damage limitation" since the publication of the Murphy Report. "This is a cause of considerable anger and deep distress to many victims of abuse including myself," Mr Madden said.
He also voiced his "shock" over priests and 'lay people' issuing a statement in support of Bishop Murray after the senior clergyman said it was up to the people of Limerick and his priests to decide his future.
The shocking report compiled by Judge Yvonne Murphy found that hundreds of child abuse cases were covered up over three decades as senior clergymen were determined to uphold the reputation of the Church.
The report branded Bishop Murray's failure to properly investigate a paedophile priest Thomas Naughton -- when he was stationed in the Dublin Archdiocese as an auxiliary bishop -- as "inexcusable".
Mr Rundle, who was abused by Fr Naughton, said the bishop should resign over it as, following complaints, the priest had been moved onto another parish rather than dealt with.
"You don't just leave them there to do it again and again," he told RTE News, adding it should go further than just an apology. Fr Naughton was convicted in 1998 and given three years imprisonment for the abuse of Mr Rundle while serving in the Donnycarney parish.
Mr Rundle, who was an altar boy, received €300,000 compensation and an apology.
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