Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

The involvement of priests with national schools has generally been in the role of chairperson of the board of management or as visiting priest assisting a class teacher in the provision of religious instruction, for example, in preparation for First Communion or Confirmation. The rules for national schools require that the chairpersons of the boards of management visit their schools regularly and satisfy themselves that the rules for national schools are being complied with. The timetable for primary schools provides for a period of 30 minutes per day for the teaching of religion. While the teaching of this subject would be a matter for the class teacher, the teacher may invite the clergy of the relevant denomination to visit the class during this period if they so wish.

I am aware of the claims made by the One in Four group in so far as they have been reported in the media. I understand they relate to concerns about certain priests with a propensity for child abuse having had access to children in national schools primarily in the inner city of Dublin in the 1980s. Obviously, if there are particular concerns in this regard they would need to be investigated fully. We now know from the Ferns inquiry the awful reality of how persons, who were accorded a position of trust in the community, wilfully abused that position to visit the horror of child sexual abuse on their victims with such damaging consequences for them and their families.

This morning the Government took decisions on further investigations specifically in respect of the archdiocese of Dublin. Details will be announced later this afternoon. I assure the House that my Department will provide whatever assistance it can to facilitate the work of the commission.

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