Findings don't go far enough -- TD
Saturday December 20 2008
DR John Magee must carefully consider his position as Bishop of Cloyne in light of devastating childcare protection revelations, a TD warned last night.
And one victim rights group demanded an immediate audit of all diocesan childcare facilities after the damning findings of the Cloyne report.
Labour's Sean Sherlock dismissed Dr Magee's response to the National Board for Safeguarding Children (NBSC) findings as not going far enough. He also questioned the Bishop's decision to continue in the top diocesan job.
"Bishop Magee now has to seriously consider his position and decide whether or not he can retain the confidence of the people of Cloyne in the light of these disclosures," the Cork TD warned. "The statement issued by Bishop Magee is simply not adequate," he said. "Those in responsible positions in the Diocese of Cloyne have to take responsibility for the way in which the complaints were dealt with."
The Labour TD hailed the NBSC report and its conclusions as courageous and honest.
Meanwhile, the group One in Four described the NBSC report into childcare protection in Cloyne as "absolutely devastating".
It said it was astonishing that such failures should have occurred after the publication of the Ferns Report in 2005. It added that it was a stark warning about the Church's handling of clerical abuse allegations.
Charity director, Maeve Lewis, said that the Cloyne findings indicated the Catholic Church could not be trusted with child protection issues.
- Ralph Riegel
