Mary Moran (Labour)

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Shatter, back to the Chamber. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and I thank all involved in the preparation of the Cloyne report. The disturbing findings of the report, the inadequate and inappropriate response, particularly of church authorities in Cloyne, to the allegations of child sexual abuse and the intervention of the Vatican to pervert the course of justice has again shaken our nation to the very core.

Members of the clergy have always been revered in this country. The Catholic religion is a huge part of our culture. I remember as a child going to relatives' houses where they had what was termed the "priest's room", namely, the best room in the house where only the priest was brought and children were not allowed in. Now we hear how a bishop misled a previous child abuse inquiry and lied about how he was handling the situation.

Like many others, I was educated in a convent school and brought up to respect the clergy. I brought up my own children in the same way. However, I also brought them up to take responsibility for their actions. I am disgusted at the terrible example being shown by Bishop Magee, who is hiding in the arms of the church. I ask that he be brought back to answer the charges.

It is time to remove the clergy from their pedestal and insist it is mandatory for priests, just as for all people working or likely to work with children, to secure clearance from the Garda. Priests can never feel the right to be above the law again. I find it completely unacceptable and very distressing to have read recently that a number of priests have resisted requests for them to be submitted to the Garda vetting procedure.

As a practising Catholic I feel shaken to the core by the revelations of the Cloyne report. As a mother, I cannot even begin to imagine the horrors for these children and their families. We now realise that in the very heart of our clergy evil was present. The Cloyne report demonstrated exactly how much. Understandably, we have lost our sense of trust in the clergy. It is vital that we move forward and acknowledge the efforts of those members of the clergy trying to undo the wrongs committed by previous generations. We should not tar them all with the same brush and we should acknowledge the decent members of the clergy who are trying to provide answers while Bishop Magee remains in hiding. They are trying their level best to rebuild our trust and they publicly condemn the terrible mental and physical atrocities suffered by victims.

At mass last Sunday, the local curate gave a moving sermon in which he condemned Bishop Magee for his actions. He questioned his faith and his reasons for remaining in the church and revealed his disgust and disappointment with the findings of the Cloyne report. The priest received a deservedly warm round of applause for his honesty and humanity, something that has been absent from these offending priests for a long time. It is vital that we ensure this situation never recurs. I would welcome the publication of legislation to provide strict punishment measures for failure to comply with the child protection code. I commend the motion to the House.