Madam, – Your Editorial of January 8th describes the HSE’s audit of the handling of child protection guidelines in Catholic dioceses as a “desperately inadequate document”. The HSE has always made it very clear that, operating under current legislation, any such audit would have significant limitations.
The HSE does not have the legal powers to compel Catholic dioceses to provide information confirming whether or not they have followed these guidelines in the past.
The information we are entitled to receive under present legislation only enables us determine if guidelines are being complied with currently. The audit established that this is the case.
Throughout this process the HSE has advocated that one way to address this limitation is through legislation obliging the Catholic dioceses to provide information on their retrospective use of the guidelines. Alternatively, we have suggested that the Commission of Investigation into Clerical Abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese could be used to secure this information.
In relation to the HSE’s separate review of the Diocese of Cloyne’s compliance with the child protection guidelines, we are satisfied that there are currently adequate child protection practices in place in the diocese.
This is a very sensitive and complex issue. It is unreasonable to criticise the work of HSE staff without considering the legislative limitations under which they are required to operate. – Yours, etc,