IRELAND
The Irish Times
A SPOKESMAN for Cardinal Seán Brady said before the BBC programme was broadcast that he had not seen it, but wanted to make the following points.
The text is slightly edited:
* It is critical to note Cardinal Brady’s comment in 2009, that he would resign if by his action children were put at risk, was specifically in response to a question about if he was a bishop with overall responsibility for dealing with allegations . . . but . . . in 1975, he was a priest who was asked by his own bishop to record evidence . . . Fr Brady had no authority over Brendan Smyth . . . It would be disingenuous to report the 2009 quote in any other way.
* Even today, in the State’s own guidelines for responding to allegations of abuse against children, it is the “Designated Person” in the organisation who has responsibility for reporting the matter to the civil authorities, not the person who first receives or notes the details of the allegation, as Fr Brady did in 1975.
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