Ireland's Catholic bishops meet at St Patrick's College Maynooth again today to discuss their response to the clerical child sex abuse crisis. It is expected they will further the process of setting up an independent audit of how each diocese has dealt with complaints of clerical child sex abuse over recent decades, and establish how they might extend the powers of their Child Protection Office, which is based at Maynooth.
Two weeks ago the bishops held an extraordinary general meeting at which they endorsed a joint decision on April 5th by the Catholic Primate, Archbishop Seán Brady, and Cardinal Desmond Connell that such an independent audit be set up. It is expected that at today's meeting, which may continue tomorrow, the bishops will decide on the terms of reference for the audit, the personnel who will conduct it, and how long it will take. They have already decided its results will be published. It is considered unlikely they will hold a press conference at the end of this meeting, but a statement may be issued.