Child Abuse.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 February 2010

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

Ceisteanna (311)

Maureen O'Sullivan

Ceist:

396 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if, subsequent to his meeting with an archbishop (details supplied), he is satisfied that there will be full and frank compliance with future requests albeit via the usual diplomatic channels; if he has made it clear to the papal nuncio that religious members of the Catholic Church here are subject to the same laws as any other citizen of the State; if he has been given a date by the congregation of the doctrine of the faith in the Holy See when the State will be granted access to all the files sent there by the 26 Catholic dioceses. [4541/10]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Deputy Micheál Martin)

I met with the Papal Nuncio, H.E. Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, on Tuesday 8 December to discuss the report of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation and the issue of the cooperation received by the Commission from the Holy See and successive Papal Nuncios as it carried out its investigations. At this meeting, I emphasised to Archbishop Leanza the importance of the Vatican providing a substantive response to inquiries from the Commission, and stressed the Government's expectation that the Holy See would provide the fullest possible co-operation with any ongoing or future State investigations into clerical child abuse.

The Nuncio undertook to convey this position to the Vatican. He assured me that there had been no intention on the part of the Holy See to withhold co-operation from the Commission, and noted that the Vatican had made known to the Commission, through the Government, its expectation that such inquiries would be pursued through the appropriate diplomatic channels.

My Department remains available to provide any assistance requested by the Commission in support of its investigations.