CLERICAL CHILD SEX ABUSE: diocese by diocese

Three priests have had allegations of child sexual abuse made against them. None has been convicted of such offences

Three priests have had allegations of child sexual abuse made against them. None has been convicted of such offences. One is dead; the other two are retired and neither of them is involved in ministry in the diocese.

Ardagh & Clonmacnois

Complaints against five priests have been received since 1950. All five are deceased.

Armagh

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Allegations of child sex abuse have been made against eight priests. The allegations date back to the 1950s and some of those accused are now dead. The archdiocese said that no priest against whom there was concern relating to child protection was still in active ministry.

Cashel & Emly

The diocese received allegations against two priests. Neither of them is still working in the diocese.

Clogher

The diocese was unable to answer a series of questions submitted by The Irish Times.

Clonfert

Allegations of abuse were made against two priests, one of whom was subsequently convicted of child abuse. Neither priest is still working in the diocese.

Cloyne

Allegations of sex abuse have been made against 11 priests over the last 20 years. One of these priests is currently in a restricted ministry, meaning that he is in the parish but is not involved with schools and is not allowed to interact with young people.

The case was brought to the attention of gardaí, but they determined that it did not fall into the category of child abuse.This is because the person who made the allegation was not a minor at the time of the alleged abuse.

Cork & Ross

Twelve priests in the Cork diocese have had allegations made against them relating to events which allegedly occurred between 1975 and 1995. Four priests have been convicted in the courts.

Two priests against whom allegations have been made are still working in the diocese. Both of these cases were investigated by gardaí and the men were cleared. The diocesan spokesman said one of them, to the best of his knowledge, had stood down during the investigation.

Derry

Twenty-six priests have been investigated for child sex abuse over the last 50 years. Nine of them are dead. Two were prosecuted and one was convicted. One priest facing a recent allegation of abuse has been given leave of absence from ministry.

Four priests had allegations made against them withdrawn. In three other cases the complainant would not identify the alleged offender and in another instance the priest involved was a victim of mistaken identity.

The diocese said that one priest stood down following a complaint. He was professionally assessed and found to pose no risk.

Another priest who made a settlement with a complainant is no longer in active ministry. Neither is another priest alleged to have abused outside Ireland.

Down & Connor

Three priests serving in the Diocese of Down and Connor against whom allegations have been made are still in ministry.

The diocese confirmed that one of them is still the subject of a police investigation relating to more than 20 years ago.The facts of the case have been considered by the diocese's independent child protection panel, which had advised the bishop that the priest could remain in ministry.

The diocese said that the other two cases were reported to the police and the priests stepped down. There were no prosecutions and the priests were returned to ministry after assessment.

A total of 15 priests serving in the diocese have been subject to accusations of child abuse dating back to the 1940s.

Dromore

In Dromore, which takes in Newry and Portadown, allegations of sexual abuse have been made against five priests "living and dead". A spokesman said that there was no priest in the diocese about whom there were concerns relating to child protection. The Irish Times was unable to establish from the diocese whether any priests against whom allegations had been made were still in active ministry and whether the allegations had been investigated by the police.

Dublin

Allegations have been made, or concerns raised, regarding 67 priests in the Dublin archdiocese. Some allegations date back to the 1940s. The figure includes cases where the allegations were found to be false, where the priest was wrongly identified or where the evidence proved inconclusive.

A spokeswoman for the archdiocese said that it was unable to provide a breakdown of the figures, or give details of how many priests had been suspended or how many who had been the subject of allegations were currently in ministry.

The archdiocese said that all allegations of abuse were discussed by the diocese's child protection service, the Garda and the Health Service Executive.

"If that group feels that the accused priest constitutes a risk to children, then the priest concerned is asked to stand aside immediately until the investigation is completed."

Elphin

The Bishop of Elphin, Dr Christopher Jones, said that 16 allegations of child abuse have been made against priests in the diocese.

He said that of these allegations there had been "reasonable suspicion" in relation to nine diocesan priests. Of the nine priests investigated, two are deceased and seven are out of ministry.

The diocese said that all allegations of child abuse had been reported to the health board and the Garda. Allegations in relation to three priests were referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but no prosecutions have taken place.

Ferns

The way church and State authorities handled abuse allegations against 21 priests were examined fully by the Ferns inquiry, which reported this week. None of these priests is still in active ministry. Five other priests currently in ministry have had allegations made against them. The view of an inter-agency group involving diocesan advisers, the health services and the Garda was that no child protection issues were involved.

Galway, Kilmacduagh & Kilfenora

Complaints were made against six diocesan priests and a diocesan spokesman said there may be "one or two" who remain in ministry.

"The reason would be because, after a thorough investigation, there was found to be no foundation to the allegations," he said.

However, he could not say for definite whether the investigation was conducted by the Garda, as he did not have this information to hand.

He pointed out that since 1996, and the publication of the church's framework document on the issue, all allegations received by the diocese had been referred to the Garda.

Kerry

Eleven allegations have been made against priests in the Kerry diocese going back over a 50-year period.

Four of these priests were dead, two were laicised at their own request and two were dismissed from the priesthood by the Pope in the last year and a half.

The Bishop of Kerry, Dr Bill Murphy, said: "I don't have any information that gardaí and the Southern Health Board don't have. We have passed on everything".

Kildare & Leighlin

Allegations have been made against one priest. The diocese said that there were no priests currently in ministry against whom allegations had been made.

Killala

The Diocese of Killala received one anonymous allegation concerning a priest who had already died.

No other complaints have been made.

What the diocese describes as a "concern" expressed to the bishop was investigated by the Garda and dismissed.

Killaloe

A total of 25 complaints have been made against 10 priests, with the first incident complained of allegedly taking place in 1957. One priest is currently the subject of a Garda investigation relating to a period prior to his becoming a priest. This priest is currently outside the ministry. Once the diocese had been informed of the case by the Garda it asked him to step down.

A further "one or two" priests from religious orders, who are now deceased, had complaints made against them.

In these instances, the file would have been handed over directly to their religious order, according to a diocesan spokesman.

Kilmore

One priest against whom allegations of child sex abuse were made is still serving in the diocese after a Garda/health board investigation found there were no grounds for criminal proceedings. Five priests in the diocese, includingFather Brendan Smyth, have had allegations made against them. Three of the priests stepped down from ministry while the allegations were being investigated, while one had already left at the time of the allegation. Only one returned to active ministry following the investigation.

Two of the priests, including Father Smyth, are deceased. Father Smyth, who was attached to the Norbertine order, is the only priest in the diocese to have been convicted of child sexual abuse offences.

Limerick

Allegations have been made against 10 priests since 1960. Three are now deceased and one case is before the courts. The DPP has decided not to proceed with two other cases. There have been no convictions.

The diocese says no priest under investigation is in active ministry.

Meath

The diocese did not respond to queries submitted by The Irish Times. The Bishop of Meath, Dr Michael Smith, said on LMFM Radio during the week that one priest in the diocese had stood down when there were grounds for believing that there was substance to allegations made against him. He said that in another case a complainant withdrew an allegation against a priest.

Ossory

The diocese has not so far responded to questions from The Irish Times.

Raphoe

Allegations of child sexual abuse have been made against 10 priests in the Diocese of Raphoe dating back over 40 years.

Seven of these priests stood aside from ministry. One is still serving, but the diocese said that there were no reasonable suspicions that would give rise to a child protection question.

Tuam

In his statement this week, the Archbishop of Tuam, Dr Michael Neary, did not give details of the number of allegations of child sexual abuse which had been made against priests in his diocese. However, he said that "tragically there have been significant instances of such abuse".

He said that last year an independent review of all complaints received by the diocese found that they had been managed very well and in accordance with the norms and guidance applicable at the time.

Waterford & Lismore

Seven priests have had allegations made against them, all of which were reported to the civil authorities.

One priest is in a "limited ministry" in the diocese. This means that he is not in a public ministry and is not in contact with children. The allegations against this priest were reported to the Garda and investigated fully, with the priest stepping aside during this process, according to a diocesan spokesman.

Compiled by Martin Wall, John Downes, Kitty Holland and Ali Bracken