The Labour Party has called on gardaí to initiate a criminal investigation into the role played by Cardinal Sean Brady in a 1975 canonical inquiry into sexual abuse of children by the paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth.The party's spokeswoman on Social Affairs Roisin Shortall said today that Dr Brady, then a priest in the diocese of Kilmore, had not passed onto the civil authorities the evidence of serious criminal offences perpetrated by Fr Smyth on two children that presented to the inquiry.She said the second matter relating to Cardinal Brady's role that should be referred to the Garda Siochana was the requirement on the two children, a boy aged 10 and a girl aged 14, to take an oath of secrecy."Under the Offences against the State Act 1939, it's an offence to given an oath for the purposes of covering up a crime."The Labour Party is calling for a Garda investigation into the role of Sean Brady in this entire affair," said Ms Shortall.She said that many people would also be "appalled at yet another senior cleric trying to defend the indefensible on the airwaves."It's bad enough that a priest abused a number of children. It's really beyond belief that in a situation where children were required to take an oath of silence to hide it," she said.When asked should Dr Brady resign, Ms shortall said it was not the place of a TD to call for a resignation, saying that was a matter for church authorities.She continued that she was concerned about what she called "serious ambivalence" about criminal activity surrounding young children."This again raises the issue of the appropriateness of the church authorities being involved so centrally in our education and health services," she said.The party also said there was an onus on the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to give a public update on the progress made by the Garda Siochana in its investigation of offences uncovered by the Murphy inquiry.Ms Shortall said that Mr Ahern said he had handed a copy of the report to the gardai last July, yet nothing has been heard of the investigation since then.She added that the Labour Party also supported the Murphy inquiry being extended to other dioceses.
The party's spokeswoman on Social Affairs Roisin Shortall said today that Dr Brady, then a priest in the diocese of Kilmore, had not passed onto the civil authorities the evidence of serious criminal offences perpetrated by Fr Smyth on two children that presented to the inquiry.
She said the second matter relating to Cardinal Brady's role that should be referred to the Garda Siochana was the requirement on the two children, a boy aged 10 and a girl aged 14, to take an oath of secrecy.
"Under the Offences against the State Act 1939, it's an offence to given an oath for the purposes of covering up a crime.
"The Labour Party is calling for a Garda investigation into the role of Sean Brady in this entire affair," said Ms Shortall.
She said that many people would also be "appalled at yet another senior cleric trying to defend the indefensible on the airwaves.
"It's bad enough that a priest abused a number of children. It's really beyond belief that in a situation where children were required to take an oath of silence to hide it," she said.
When asked should Dr Brady resign, Ms shortall said it was not the place of a TD to call for a resignation, saying that was a matter for church authorities.
She continued that she was concerned about what she called "serious ambivalence" about criminal activity surrounding young children.
"This again raises the issue of the appropriateness of the church authorities being involved so centrally in our education and health services," she said.
The party also said there was an onus on the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to give a public update on the progress made by the Garda Siochana in its investigation of offences uncovered by the Murphy inquiry.
Ms Shortall said that Mr Ahern said he had handed a copy of the report to the gardai last July, yet nothing has been heard of the investigation since then.
She added that the Labour Party also supported the Murphy inquiry being extended to other dioceses.
