Shatter warns of Cloyne delay

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has said a High Court application may be necessary to resolve ongoing issues surrounding the…

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has said a High Court application may be necessary to resolve ongoing issues surrounding the delayed publication of the Cloyne report.

Mr Shatter had originally hoped the report would have gone to Cabinet and then published by mid-May. However he has admitted that legal concerns continue to hold up the report and it may be necessary to resort to a legal ruling before publication can be considered.

"There are still discussions which are taking some considerable time," he said this morning. "I think we are now in a place where, if matters are not agreed, within the next week to 10 days , that perhaps a court application may be necessary. I was hopeful that matters would have been agreed and that the report would have been published by now. I can't give a specific date. If matters are agreed obviously the report will go straight to Cabinet and be published as soon as possible thereafter."

Speaking in Armagh following a meeting with Stormont justice minister David Ford, Mr Shatter said: "As of yesterday there was still uncertainty about the matter, there was still a possibility of a necessity for a court application. It may be as we come to the end of this week that will disappear. If not, then we are going to have to make a court application."

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The report into clerical child sex abuse in the Cloyne dioscese was headed by Circuit Court Judge Yvonne Murphy who also headed the investigation into abuse in the Dublin archdiocese.

The legal difficulties are understood to refer to the redaction of sections of the findings which relate to an individual who is before the courts.

Speaking in general terms about the nature of the problem, he said: "The issue is that there is a particular chapter that is relevant to issues which are still a matter of criminal investigation and consideration and care has to be taken with regard to its content. The court directed that there be agreed redactions of that chapter. There has been a difficulty in finalising that. I was hopeful a couple of weeks ago that that matter would be resolved.

"Yesterday it wasn't finally resolved and I had discussion within my department on the basis of making a further court application if that proves to be necessary."

Sinn Féin spokesperson on children Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said this evening the report must be published without further delay. to be published immediately. 

"Mr Shatter and Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald should ensure that the publication occurs in a manner sensitive to the needs and wishes of victims," he said.

"It is equally important that criminal proceedings are thorough in order to ensure justice and truth for all victims."