A DRAFT report by a Church of Ireland commission has proposed that the number of bishops in the church should be reduced from 12 to 10.

According to a report in this week's Church of Ireland (tazette, the report of the commission on episcopal ministry and diocesan boundaries is being considered by the church's diocesan councils.

It recommends that two dioceses in the south and west should disappear because of declining numbers ,of both members and clergy. Limerick and Ardfert would be merged with Cork, and Kilmore and Ardagh would be joined to Meath and Kildare.

The Gazette report says: "In the not too distant future both the diocese of Cork and the diocese of: Limerick will no longer be viable propositions, as is the case with Tuam, already. Therefore joining Limerick and Cork now niakes practical sense."

It points out that there has been a large decline in the number of Church of Ireland parishes and clergy in the past 30 years. There are now 466 parochial units compared with 646 in 1965, and 528 full-time salaried clergy compared with 796 in 1965.

Other changes recommended would see Killaloe and Elphin added to the diocese of Tuam; two parishes, Killesher and Kinawley, ,switched from Kilmore to Clogher; four parishes at present in the Armagh diocese, all in County Louth, added to Meath and Kildare; and six parishes from West Glend,alough added to

Kildare.

The report states: "The recommendations suggested may seem severe, but a major operation, as,suming it is competently performed, can be prefe,rable to constant hospitalisation.

It concludes: "The Church of Ireland has an enormous potential for staggering on until a system totally collapses. We see this exemplified in the parochial situation where parishes amalgamate at the eleventh hour - sometimes with the wrong neighbour - when a little forward planning might provide a more suitable union, that might not require a divorce, perhaps only a decade after marriage!"