Some
religious have expressed surprise at a fresh audit of Church abuse
handling as State failings are exposed.
The Government has launched another fresh audit into the handling of abuse allegations by religious orders despite an ongoing in-depth process by the Church’s independent watchdog.
The fresh audits come as it has emerged that the Government has failed to implement key recommendations made in the child death review report which showed massive State failings to protect children.
The harrowing report, which was published last year, documented the deaths of 196 children in State care.
However, despite severe criticism of State failures, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is once again turning its attention to religious orders.
Some religious congregations have expressed “surprise” at the move since, in their view, it duplicates what is already being done.
The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) is currently auditing handling of abuse by dioceses and religious congregations. The watchdog, headed by Ian Elliott, is expected to publish the latest set of audits into dioceses and religious congregations next month.
In a letter seen by The Irish Catholic, the HSE told orders, religious congregations and missionary societies that it would be conducting the audit, despite the fact that many of the orders have previously been extensively audited.
The letter said the HSE wanted to verify that all historic allegations of abuse were shared with the State and with An Garda Síochána. However, the process will also ensure that congregations are compliant with “child protection guidelines issued by Church authorities at various times and, more recently, with the national guidelines”.
A number of senior members of religious orders who spoke to The Irish Catholic under condition of anonymity expressed surprise at the HSE approach. “There have been few groups in Ireland audited more than the religious orders,” one source said. Another questioned whether “this is about deflecting from the failings of the HSE when it comes to protecting children in State care”.
However, a senior source in the HSE insisted that the process is part of a mandate given to the agency by former Minister for Children Brian Lenihan in the wake of the 2005 Ferns Report.
A HSE source said the process was aimed at “cross referencing allegations received by the HSE, the gardaí and Church authorities”.
Several senior members of religious orders expressed the view that the HSE process duplicates the work being done by the NBSCCC. However, a HSE source pointed out that the national board does not have statutory power.
The latest audits carried out by Ian Elliott, which include both dioceses and religious congregations, come after 10 of the country’s 26 dioceses have been reviewed, while a further 159 religious orders, congregations and missionary societies will be audited.
The audit process was extended to all Church institutions after a 2008 review of the Diocese of Cloyne found that procedures there were “inadequate and, in some respects, dangerous.”
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has severely criticised the HSE for failing to protect children, including placing children in foster homes with adults against whom serious allegations of abuse have been made.