Bishops allocate €2m for child protection audit
Catholic bishops have allocated €2m for an all-Ireland audit of child protection procedures in the church's 26 dioceses and 186 religious and missionary orders.
The audit, which is expected to be completed within two years, will be conducted by the church's National Board for the Safeguarding of Children.
Welcoming the decision, the board's executive director Ian Elliott said he was confident that he would get most, if not all, of the review completed by the deadline, because the extra financial resources meant he could double his staff to eight. He said he would definitely publish a report on his findings.
He also said that the board would publish its second annual report next month on measures taken by the Irish church to introduce effective child protection procedures.
"I am happy with current co-operation from the church leaders who have given the board increased resources in difficult economic times," he said.
- John Cooney
Irish Independent
