A total of 10,450 callers have availed of the Faoiseamh independent counselling helpline for victims of clerical abuse. Funded by CORI, it has been given professional counselling free of charge since it began in 1997.
Most of those who availed of the service have been from Ireland and the UK, but some have been from Australia and the US. To date it has cost more than €4 million, delegates at the second day of the Conference of Religious of Ireland annual meeting were told yesterday.
Proposing an extension of the service for the next three years the chairman of the Board of Faoiseamh, Mr. Seán Clancy, said "2,097 individuals were offered counselling of which 1,620 accepted (and) there are currently 541 in counselling."
Costs were rising, he said but that "to deprive people of this support now would be a serious setback to people who are getting their lives back together again". The estimated cost of providing the service next year is €1.2 million.
Delegates were also introduced to CORI's Child Protection Task Force's publication Ministry with Integrity. It recommends professionalism in the exercise of pastoral ministry by religious and lay workers.