Below are some of the main points from the Commission of Investigation report into the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne:
*
The Vatican was “entirely unhelpful” to any bishop who wanted to
implement procedures for dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse
in the Irish church.
* The response of the Diocese of Cloyne was “inadequate and inappropriate".
*
Primary responsibility for the failure to implement agreed child sexual
abuse procedures lies with then-bishop of Cloyne John Magee.
*
Bishop Magee "took little or no active interest" in the management of
clerical child sexual abuse cases until 2008, 12 years after the
framework document on child sexual abuse was agreed by the Irish
Bishops' Conference.
* That some child sexual abuse allegations were not reported to gardaí was the diocese’s “greatest failure”.
*
There were 15 cases between 1996 and 2005 which “very clearly” should
have been reported by the diocese, of which nine were not.
* Given
the diocese’s knowledge of clerical sexual abuse and its effects on
complainants it was wrong of the diocese not to put in place a proper
support system for complainants.
* The response of health
authorities was “adequate”, but the commission adds it is not convinced
the State’s laws and guidelines are sufficiently strong and clear for
child protection.
* The report is largely complimentary about the
role of gardaí, although it does raise concerns about the force’s
approach in three cases.