7 audits into child safeguarding practices in the Catholic Church and religious orders have been published.
The reviews were carried out by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC).
They examined the dioceses of Clonfert in Galway, Cork and Ross, Kildare and Leighlin and Limerick.
3 religious orders were also examined – the Dominicans, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and the Spiritans.
This is the 2nd tranche of audits published by the NBSCCC and it has found good practice in a number of places whilst it has been poor in others.
In Cork and Ross 26 priests have had allegations of abuse made against them since 1975.
3 of the priests remain in ministry while 7 have retired.
In Limerick allegations of abuse were made against 18 priests – 34 claims were reported to Gardaí, while 41 were brought to the attention of health boards.
Whilst in Kildare and Leighlin 18 allegations of sexual abuse were made against 10 priests from the diocese since 1975.
8 of those priests are deceased while the remaining 2 are out of ministry.
Only 1 of the 10 priests was convicted.
Meanwhile following the review of Clonfert in east Galway Bishop John Kirby personally apologised for moving 2 priests to different parishes in the 1990s describing the decision as a grave mistake, and saying he would act very differently now.
The Bishop has also admitted that he believed href="http://www.newstalk.ie/2012/news/bishop-thought-paedophilia-was-friendship-that-crossed-boundary-line/">paedophilia was “a friendship that crossed a boundary line” and knew nothing about paedophiles.
Elsewhere today and for the first time audits of 3 religious orders have been published.
Ian Elliott is Chief Executive of National Bord for National for Safeguarding Children.
He says examples of good and bad can be found in these audits.
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