The Ferns Inquiry was chaired by Frank Murphy, a retired Supreme Court judge.
The other two members were Dr Helen Buckley, a senior lecturer in the department of social studies at Trinity College Dublin and a specialist in child protection issues, and Dr Laraine Joyce, deputy director of the Office for Health Management.
Terms of reference
The Ferns Inquiry was set up by the Government in March 2003. The terms of reference included identifying what complaints had been made against clergy operating in the Diocese of Ferns prior to April 10th, 2002 (10 days after the resignation of the Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey), and the nature of the response to such complaints.
Specifically, the inquiry had to examine whether the response of the church authorities and other parties, such as the health service and the Garda, was adequate, in the context of the time, and if not, why not.
It was also asked to identify what lessons might be learned from the past that might improve child protection in the future, to identify any difficulties or shortcomings in the law in this area, and to make recommendations for change.
