This section is reprinted from The Irish Times, November 20, 2009. Author is Patsy McGarry, Political Affairs Correspondent. View original link at http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1120/1224259179450.html

The Dublin report is expected to be published in the latter part of next week, following the decision of Mr Justice Paul Gilligan in the High Court yesterday that further deletions must be made in addition to those he announced on October 15th last.

His decision has been broadly welcomed by abuse survivors, their representative organisations, and Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin.

However some abuse survivors expressed concern at the timing of recent actions by the DPP which made yesterday’s High Court proceedings necessary.

Archbishop Martin said he was “pleased” at the High Court ruling even if it had been his preference that the report be published in its entirety.

However, he understood the complex issues that had to be considered and hoped that, when the report is in the public domain, “survivors of abuse will be able to access adequate support services at what is certain to be a difficult time for them and their families”.

Both Marie Collins and Andrew Madden, who had been abused as children by priests of the Dublin archdiocese, raised the matter of the warrants which led to yesterday’s proceedings.

They were referring to the disclosure by Mr Justice Gilligan that his order yesterday arose from a decision by the DPP to issue warrants for the arrest of the man concerned on October 2nd and 5th last.

This initiated criminal proceedings against the relevant priest, which led to Mr Justice Gilligan’s order yesterday that all reference to him, and his brother, in the Dublin report must be deleted for now.

Ms Collins found this “very suspicious” not least as the very first in camera hearings of the High Court on publication of the Dublin Report took place on October 1st and 2nd last, and at which the DPP was represented.

The warrants however were not brought to the attention of Mr Justice Gilligan until October 21st, six days after the report had already been cleared by him, with some deletions, for publication. Ms Collins also did “not think they should have been allowed back (to the High Court) a second time.”

Andrew Madden said “it does look odd to say the least. The DPP and the Attorney General had plenty of time to make those decisions much earlier”. However he was “happy enough” with yesterday’s decision, “as it seems most of the report will be published”.

He continued: “Hopefully the Government will move speedily in letting us know when it will be published and before anything else goes wrong or someone does something wrong.” It was “imperative” that the Government publish it “before the end of next week at the latest, as publishing any later than that would be inappropriate given the upcoming Budget on December 9th”, he said.

Ms Collins was disappointed the report was not being brought out in full. It was hard to know how the edits ordered by Mr Justice Gilligan will affect the overall integrity of the report, she said, but she was hopeful.

One in Four executive director Maeve Lewis said the decision that the report can be published “is a huge relief for survivors of clerical abuse, many of whom have been waiting years for this day”.

Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said “the waiting has gone on for far too long but thankfully an end is in sight”. The centre’s 24-hour national helpline is 1800778888.

© The Irish Times