Senator Bacik's letter to the Irish Times regarding the Report into the Dublin Archdiocese

Madam,

The shocking findings of the Report into the Dublin Archdiocese should have an enormous impact on the role of the Catholic Church in our society. The report exposes a culture of cover-up which persisted for many decades at the highest levels in the Church, and which allowed horrific sexual abuses to be perpetrated against hundreds of children. The Church needs to acknowledge its institutional fault in this. Any bishops still in office and named in the Report as having handled sexual abuse complaints badly should now resign. It is also necessary to review the significant role played by the Catholic Church in civic life, with over 3000 national schools remaining under its patronage. In light of the Report's findings, many parents will ask whether the Church should continue to have control over the education of our children.

Yours, etc,

Ivana Bacik

Seanad Eireann

Dublin 2.