Kilmore diocese policy should address more clearly 'unacceptable behaviour' - audit report

Kilmore diocese has been urged to address more clearly the issue of 'unacceptable behaviour' by a national audit report issued this week. The Diocesan Audit Report of the safeguarding arrangements in the Catholic Diocese was published by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald, yesterday, Thursday, October 11, detailing cases of clerical abuse across the country up to the end of last year. The audit was carried out by the HSE in the 24 Catholic Dioceses in the Republic of Ireland. Nationally 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. KILMORE It met most standards but among the recommendations were that its policy address more clearly the issue of 'unacceptable behaviour' and further develop guidelines on intimate care of children with disabilities. The data provided by Kilmore was found to be of high standard despite misunderstandings that the gardaí would notify the HSE, which has been resolved . There were four allegations against two priests which took between four days and a month to report to authorities. ARDAGH and CLONMACNOIS In this diocese containing most of counties Longford and Leitrim and parts of counties Cavan, Offaly, Roscommon, Sligo and Westmeath, four allegations were provided by the diocese, including two against deceased priests. The diocese reported difficulties in contacting the HSE to report two allegations against one priest. It informed the gardaí six days after receiving the allegations and tried to contact the HSE 10 days after receiving them. It eventually made contact 17 days after receiving the allegations. The audit said all allegations should ideally be reported within one to three days to the civil authorities. "It is appreciated that this diocese has experienced difficulties in contacting the HSE when the designated child care manager was on leave." CLOGHER This diocese includes most of Fermanagh and parts of counties Tyrone, Monaghan, Donegal, Louth and Cavan, the audit refers only to the portion of the diocese in the Republic of Ireland. Some 18 allegations were made against five priests but 14 of those were against one priest. A further allegation was made against a deceased priest in relation to an incident abroad. The length of time it took to report allegations to the civil authorities was "varied and lengthy and not in compliance with Church guidance", the audit found. It said it was not acceptable that three of the four allegations notified to the diocese in 2009 took from over one month to over three months to be reported. "It is also disappointing that in 2006 and 2010 the diocese stated in its audit returns that it had reported all allegations promptly, when in fact this was not the case in the reporting of 11 out of 13 analysable allegations." MEATH Record keeping on allegations was a "matter of concern" in the Meath diocese and it "took a number of requests" for the HSE to receive dates on allegations for the report. It also raised concern that 12 allegations known to the gardaí "appear not to have been known to the diocese". There were three allegations, one historical case which was notified to the HSE a month and a half after the allegation was received by the diocese. The diocese said it took a number of weeks to ascertain the name and contact details of the complainant. Among the recommendations for the diocese were to develop an approach to managing those who posed a risk to children and clarify the time-scale and circumstances for reporting allegations to the civil authorities.