Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has written to Minister for Finance Brian Cowen seeking to break the deadlock over the establishment of a planned fast-track investigation into how the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin managed child abuse claims against priests.
The Department of Justice has reached agreement on the inquiry with groups representing victims and submitted proposals to the Department of Finance last February. However, there has been no progress since then.
The new inquiry, which would come under the Government's new powers to establish commissions of investigations into matters of public interest, would examine how the diocese handled cases of alleged child abuse against priests. According to informed sources it would look, for example, into whether the Archdiocese moved priests around against whom allegations had been made.
Senior clerics including Cardinal Desmond Connell could be questioned about their responses to abuse complaints made against priests in the archdiocese.
Much of the work of the proposed commission is likely to take place in private, although it would be able to hold some public hearings.
Legislation allowing for the establishment of commissions of investigation was passed by the Oireachtas late last year. It followed widespread public and political concern over the length of time and cost associated with tribunals of inquiry.
However, under the legislation the agreement of the Department of Finance must be reached before the proposal for the establishment of such a commission of investigation can be brought to Cabinet.
The Department of Finance has confirmed that it has received a submission from the Department of Justice on the establishment of the proposed commission of investigation.
Department of Finance sources told The Irish Times this weekend that it had a number of concerns about the proposals and these would be brought to the attention of Mr Cowen.
The Department of Justice said that its Minister, Mr McDowell, hoped to bring proposals on the new commission of investigation to Government shortly.
It is understood Mr McDowell wrote to Mr Cowen in recent weeks seeking to break the deadlock on the issue.
Informed sources said the Department of Justice was unaware of the nature of the concerns held by the Department of Finance about the proposals.
However, sources said Mr McDowell was "very anxious to progress the issue".
Mr McDowell first promised a public inquiry into the handling of abuse claims by the Archdiocese of Dublin in November 2002 following revelations in an RTÉ Prime Time programme.
It is understood the Archdiocese has recorded complaints against about 60 priests over the last 40 years, at least one of which has now been established as false.
The Archdiocese has paid out over €2.5 million in compensation payments to about 40 victims.
