The report of the Ferns inquiry is due to be presented to Minister for Health Mary Harney early this week.
The inquiry, into how allegations of child sex abuse by priests of Ferns diocese were addressed by church and State authorities, was set up in September 2003. It is understood the Tánaiste will forward the report, almost immediately, to the Attorney General's office.
It will then be examined in detail to ensure no one living, and without a relevant conviction, is identifiable from witnesses' evidence as a perpetrator of child sex abuse. This is to ensure the State is not open to legal action by people claiming defamation.
Once the report is cleared by the Attorney General's office it will be returned to Ms Harney, who will have copies made for her Government colleagues. It will then be circulated before discussion and formal acceptance at a Cabinet meeting, which will also clear it for presentation to the Dáil and Seanad, as well as for publication.
It is understood Minister of State at the Department of Health Brian Lenihan will give a special briefing on the report's contents to TDs for the Wexford area (which makes up the greater part of Ferns diocese), probably before it is presented to the Dáil.
Informed sources have indicated it is likely to be published within the next two weeks.
The inquiry was chaired by retired Supreme Court Judge Frank Murphy. He was assisted by Dr Helen Buckley, TCD department of social studies and a specialist in child protection issues, and by Dr Laraine Joyce, deputy director of the Office for Health Management, who assisted in reviewing the structures and management of organisations coming within the scope of the inquiry.
In its terms of reference the inquiry was asked to identify what complaints or allegations had been made against clergy of Ferns diocese prior to April 10th, 2002 (when an initial form of the inquiry was set up under George Bermingham SC), and to report on the response by those church and state authorities to which the complaints or allegations were reported.
It was asked "to consider whether the response was adequate or appropriate, judged in the context of the time when the complaint or allegation was made".
More specifically, it was asked to consider "the response of the diocesan and other church authorities and the State authorities to cases where they had knowledge or strong and clear suspicion of sexual abuse involving priests of the diocese of Ferns and to consider whether that response was adequate or appropriate, judged in the context of the time when the knowledge was acquired or the suspicion formed".
It was asked "to examine and report on the levels of communication that prevailed between diocesan and State authorities", and whether improved communication was desirable or practical, and it should identify any lessons that could be learned from how complaints or allegations were handled in the past. It should identify shortcomings in laws and regulations and make recommendations as to how these could be remedied.
