Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)

In 1987, the Journal of Interpersonal Violence published a study entitled "The self-reported sex crimes of non-incarcerated paedophiles". This study found that in a lifetime, a single child abuser will sexually abuse and rape, on average, 150 children. It is estimated by One in Four that only one in 100 victims of child abuse who come forward and report incidents of rape and sexual abuse to the Garda Síochána will see their abuser being successfully convicted.

With so few convictions, it is little wonder that so much abuse went on for so long. It was exacerbated by the silence and inaction of the church, as we see in Cloyne. In the former boarding school in Carraig Na bhFear, Coláiste an Chroí Naofa, a priest teaching in the school was convicted of ten sample charges of indecent assault in one case. Seven formal allegations of child abuse have also been made against another priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and a former teacher in the same school. Despite seven separate cases being reported to four different Garda stations between 1986 and 2008 about this priest, the Director of Public Prosecutions declined to pursue criminal prosecutions. However, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart settled a civil case before it was brought to court with one of those who alleged they were sexually assaulted.

On foot of these original allegations and subsequent civil action, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart placed the priest under a restricted ministry order in 1996 which was intended to restrict the activities of the priest including limiting his travel, work and access to children. The priest, however, acted in direct contravention of this restricted ministry order and violated the safeguarding of children standards and guidance documents for the Catholic church. The religious order in question has also failed to enforce this order and guidelines.

For example, part of the restricted ministry order states the priest must inform his community leader of his movements in and outside Ireland. In March last year, the priest in question was advertised in The Irish Catholic newspaper, which also ran the headline, "Abuse Era at an End"-----