Brian Hayes (Fine Gael)

A protocol to deal with this issue does not exist in every diocese of this country. That is a matter of immediate concern to the Catholic Church. I know Bishop Eamonn Walsh. He is a person of considerable integrity. He has two great skills that the Catholic Church has lacked in recent years — genuine humility and judgment coupled with a razor sharp intellect. I congratulate him on his work over the past two years dealing with this appalling issue in the Ferns diocese.

Together we can move forward, if legislation is forthcoming and if there is a response from all the agencies, to deal with this issue in a comprehensive manner.