ALMOST quarter-of-a-million Euros in compensation, excluding legal fees, has been paid out in the last six months by the Diocese of Limerick in agreed settlement to survivors of clerical child sex abuse, it has been revealed.
When asked by the Limerick Post during a press conference, Diocesan administrator, Fr Tony Mullins, revealed that for the first time the diocese has paid money to survivors.
And it has emerged that the late Bishop Jeremiah Newman allowed a priest to minister in Limerick despite “apparently having knowledge of his abusive behaviour in England”.
The total cost of the settlements, which were agreed through a process of negotiation, was €323,000 including legal fees, with compensation to the two individuals making up €220,000.
The information emerged during a press briefing on the publication of the Review of Safeguarding Practice in the Diocese of Limerick undertaken by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI).
The review – which was initiated at the request of Fr Mullins on behalf of the diocese – shows that of 45 complaints relating to 26 priests who were either serving in, or connected with the diocese since 1975, none resulted in criminal charges or convictions. All complaints were subjected to garda investigation.
It also found that the diocese satisfied 44 out of 48 criteria for practices which safeguard children and stated that the “most striking aspect” of the review was “the competence of personnel involved in both case management and safeguarding”.
Although there were no convictions, five priests were taken out of ministry as the church felt there were “sufficient concerns” to warrant such action, Fr Mullins said.
Referring to the priest who exhibited abusive behaviour in England, the report said that prior to Bishop Donal Murray, “practice was very poor and in our view, in one case potentially dangerous”. The report said there was “documentary evidence” that the bishop (Newman), apparently knew about the behaviour.
The last instance of alleged sex abuse in the diocese was in 1994 and there are currently no fresh investigations or allegations in the pipeline, the briefing was told.
