Minister for Education Mr Noel Dempsey has said Cardinal Desmond Connell has "questions to answer" over his handling of child sex-abuse cases in the archdiocese of Dublin.
Speaking to a Dublin radio station, Mr Dempsey said no one who commits a crime should be exempt from the law and that gardaí should investigate if there was evidence of a criminal cover-up.
He said: "The cardinal has the questions to answer. The specific cases and questions that were raised last week, I think he needs be much clearer in his response to that.
"I think it's up to the relevant authorities, the gardaí or whoever they are, to investigate complaints to see if any criminal activity took place in covering up any of this".
Following yesterday's calls for a legal inquiry into clerical sex abuse in Dublin by the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, and by the parish priest of Holy Cross in Belfast, Fr Aidan Troy, the press officer of the National Congress of Priests, Fr Colm Kilcoyne, this morning called for Cardinal Connell to open up the Dublin diocese's books to the authorities.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Fr Kilcoyne said: "We must open up the books and be open and honest and give ourselves a year or whatever to clear the slate.
"We know there is a problem that's been badly handled, so, let's deal with it and get with the real business of running the church," he said.
The Garda announced last night it was "researching the various issues involved" in relation to clerical child sex-abuse allegations. Deputy Garda commissioner Mr Noel Conroy met the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell, yesterday.
At its Cabinet meeting today, the Government is expected to discuss the form of inquiry best suited to investigating revelations about the handling of clerical child sex abuse in the Dublin archdiocese, as portrayed on RTÉ's Prime Timeprogramme last Thursday night.
Mr McDowell and the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, are due to meet to review the issue this week. No decision is expected until after this meeting.