IRELAND
Health Service Executive

Thursday 11 October 2012

Today, (Thursday, 11th October 2012), the Diocesan Audit Report of the safeguarding arrangements in the Catholic Diocese in Ireland was published by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald T.D.

The audit was originally commissioned by Minister Lenihan in 2005 and presented to Minister Fitzgerald in August 2012.

The audit was carried out by the HSE in the 24 Catholic Dioceses in the Republic of Ireland. It examined 579 allegations in relation to 189 priests, 39 of whom were priests in Ministry at the time an allegation was made. There were 31 criminal convictions. The Diocesan Audit Report covers all known allegations, and was not confined to the time frames applied in previous commissions of enquiry or review where cases from 1975 onwards were reviewed. This audit is a chronological review up November 30th, 2011.

The audit identified a…