Fine Gael Child Protection, showing real metal

The privacy of the Confession box cannot be used as an excuse for failing to disclose child sexual abuse, Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said today.




This follows Government plans to make it mandatory to pass on details of suspected child sexual abuse to authorities.



Under the plans put forward by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter, priests could be jailed for up to five years for failing to disclose information on serious offences against a child even if this was obtained during Confession.



Ms Fitzgerald said child protection was a "non negotiable" issue and the sacrament of Confession could not be used as a defence to claim exemption from the new reporting rules.



“If there is a law in the land, it has to be followed by everybody. There are no exceptions, there are no exemptions,” Ms Fitzgerald said. “I’m not concerned, neither is the Government, about the internal laws or rules governing any body."



She said she hoped the new laws could be placed on the statute books by the end of this year. Failure to follow the mandatory reporting rules could result in sanctions such as fines or jail terms.



Catholic Church spokesman have said the want to see the text of the planned legislation before making a definitive comment. However, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Armagh Dr Gerard Clifford has said the bond of secrecy attached to confessions must be respected.



A spokesman for the Catholic bishops said the “seal of Confession places an onerous responsibility on the confessor/priest, and a breach of it would be a serious offence to the rights of penitents”.



Ms Fitzgerald today provided more details of plans to place the State's child protection code - Children First - on a statutory footing.



This will make it mandatory for all groups who work with children to follow guidelines on how to respond to child abuse concerns.



"Let me declare again today that the days of voluntary compliance are over when it comes to child protection," Ms Fitzgerald said. "The new legislation I am bringing forward will provide for a strong system of inspection and oversight and the need to provide demonstrable evidence that the guidance is being implemented correctly across all sectors."



She also insisted that child protection services would be able to cope with an additional increase in reports of child welfare concerns.



By following the Children First guidelines, she said social services would be able to respond in a more efficient manner.



A decision on whether to hold further inquiries into the handling of abuse complaints in other dioceses will be made in the autumn. Mr Shatter is awaiting the results of two audits of church compliance with child protection procedures, one being carried out by the HSE, the other by the church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children.