The delay in publishing Ms Justice Laffoy's interim report into the workings of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse had nothing to do with the Department of Education, a spokeswoman has said.
The report was agreed at a meeting of the commission last Friday, which was also held to mark the formal resignation of Ms Justice Laffoy as chair of the commission. She will be replaced later this week by Mr Seán Ryan SC, whose nomination to the High Court has been approved .
A statement on the commission website, dated November 20th, noted that, "in its statement of September 2nd, the commission announced its intention to issue an interim report in November".
It continued, however, that "work on the preparation of the report is still ongoing. It is anticipated that the work will be completed and that the report will be ready for despatch to the printers during the second week of December."
It added that Ms Justice Laffoy's resignation will become effective from December 12th and that, "allowing for the Christmas holiday period, the estimated date of the publication of the report is not later than January 30th, 2004".
Justice Laffoy's resignation last September provoked a political crisis.
Mr Ryan is working on a review of the commission's work.
