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Diocese of Kerry dealt with 67 allegations of abuse about 21 priests

The NBSCCCI has apologised to one priest for categorising an allegation of abuse as one of a sexual nature but turned out to be false.

THE DIOCESE OF Kerry has dealt with 67 allegations of abuse about 21 priests since 1975, the review by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCCI) reveals.

All 67 have now been reported to the gardaí and the HSE. There has been just one conviction.

Of the 21 priests accused of sexual offences, eight are still alive and one is still in ministry. Another is out of ministry but still a member of the diocese, while another is retired. Five have left the priesthood – four were laicised and one was dismissed through an application to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in Rome.

The NBSCCCI said the priest who is still in ministry was investigated and all safeguarding issues addressed.

The body apologised to one priest who was falsely accused of sexual abuse. It noted:

The NBSCCCI received notification of a complaint against this priest and misunderstood the complaint to relate to sexual abuse when the complaint which was subsequently determined to be unfounded, had related to psychological abuse only.
The NBSCCCI acknowledges that this priest was entirely innocent of any such accusations and he was caus ed to suffer further unnecessary stress and anxiety as a result of this misunderstanding. His good name and character were eventually restored when the person who made the allegations made a public admission in the High Court that the allegations were fabricated and without foundation.

The board said that there was one case which caused it concern involving a priest who requested dismissal from the clerical state. He then moved to another part of the country where he took up a job in which he would have contact with children.

Four complaints have since been made against the man about alleged sexual abuse of children who were in care in a children’s home in county Kerry in the 1970s.

The board expects more allegations to be made against another priest who has passed away. At the time of the review, there were 25 allegations against the accused who had access to all Catholic primary schools because of his role as Diocesan Inspector. His abuse was perpetrated in the 1950s and 1960s.

A third case mentioned in the review highlighted an absence of communication between bishops in Ireland and overseas.

The priest moved to the Kerry area but insufficient information was provided by an overseas diocesan bishop about the reasons for his not ministering. Records indicate he abused a large number of boys in primary school in the parish where he was working.

“As a result of a lack of clear communication, he was allowed by a previous Bishop of Kerry to provide cover for parishes where priests were on holidays,” the reviewers found. The issue was rectified by the current Bishop of Kerry who refused permissions to the priest

Reviewers found that “in general” cases of clerical child sexual abuse in Kerry have been “appropriately managed” with improved practices evident since 1996.

Communicating a message

The review found a “genuine commitment” from the diocese in wanting victims to come forward to receive support and help. Local and online media have been used to communicate an invitation to the review process and a real concern for victims was demonstrated.

However, some work on victim outreach is still required and a review of a certain case involving two priests was recommended.

The board made eight recommendations for the new Bishop of Kerry.

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Read: Safeguarding board has “no remit” to deal with abuse by Irish priests abroad

For more from the fourth tranche of reports:

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    Mute Pól Ó Conghaile
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:29 AM

    Love Tesco – they quietly raise prices on items by a cent or two – leave it for a few weeks, then announce a ‘price drop’! lol classic

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    Mute Robin Basstard
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:39 AM

    One of the last times i was in Tesco you could buy a 2 litre bottle of cola for €1 or a 2 litre twin pack for €2.50…go figure

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Apr 13th 2016, 10:02 AM

    If Tesco were to hand out a weeks free groceries I would not toutch them . Terrible bad in handleing

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Apr 13th 2016, 10:03 AM

    Apologies cannot finish this text

    7
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    Mute Daniel O'Connor
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    Apr 13th 2016, 10:34 AM

    Did you need to catch that plane Alan?

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    Mute Alan Scott
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:58 AM

    Yes OK but Tesco are threatening to cut wages for long term staff . Am I correct ?

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    Mute Kieran Roche
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    Apr 13th 2016, 1:23 PM

    Are they back selling horse meat?

    19
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    Mute James Delaney
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    Apr 14th 2016, 1:41 AM

    @akan scott – Yes they’re cutting the pay for long service staff (following agreement, of course) – An ever popular practice for many Irish Companies – Its called AGEISM.

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    Mute Tom Newell
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:05 AM

    What about all the cash they built up from yours of dodging paying taxes etc…….oh wait the lads at the top want us all pitying them and tesco, even though they are currently trying to screw over their Irish work force. Ya sorry lads no sympathy here

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    Mute Timmay Timeo
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:06 AM

    Every LIDL helps

    63
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    Mute Damocles
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    Apr 13th 2016, 8:49 AM

    As they’ve registered loss for a number of years they can weigh that loss against profits for a few years to avoid paying tax, increased profits will then allow them to invest for growth and increased employment will lead to more tax into government coffers.

    Or something.

    52
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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:12 AM

    It’s deceptive… None of that loss is from trading and operations. They declared £7 billion in ‘one off losses’ last year. Took a write down on the value of their property portfolio by almost £4 billion and wrote off other losses from closing their USA ‘fresh and easy’ connivence stores as well as online and certain Asian markets.

    Investors beware… It actually looks like their profits fell further £600m to £450m if you exclude such exceptional items on the balance sheet.

    56
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    Mute Boganity
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:24 AM

    Hmm…it’s as kosher as Paddy’s pigs.

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    Mute MackPilon
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    Apr 13th 2016, 10:37 AM

    All their beef is Halal, the Hijrah must be good for business.

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    Mute Boganity
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    Apr 13th 2016, 12:13 PM

    That too

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    Mute Eamonn
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:29 AM

    Aldi profit in the world wouldn’t make me shop in Tesco.

    38
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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Apr 13th 2016, 3:23 PM

    You need to loosen up a Lidl.

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    Mute Eyepopper
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    Apr 13th 2016, 10:35 AM

    Found a new recipe for cooking the books have they?

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    Mute Colm Flaherty
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:55 AM

    Oh, this is sure going to help their position when they sit down with the strikers…

    26
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    Mute Ted Murray
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    Apr 13th 2016, 11:43 AM

    I don’t like Tesco anymore, they’re too inconsistent. You can walk into any Dunnes, or even SuperValu when you want a specific item, but you can’t do the same in Tesco, because all of the stores seem to be different.
    I tried to get around this by asking my local Tesco to stock a particular item. After three attempts over several weeks, they finally got the item in stock. When they sold them all, they didn’t bother re-stocking, and they haven’t bothered their arse since. If I drive to another Tesco 20 odd miles away, I find shelves full of what the other store isn’t stocking. Tesco can take a hike and stop pretending that they’re listening to their customers.

    25
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    Mute stefanovich
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    Apr 13th 2016, 11:48 AM

    Local Tesco is manky. Gone off fruit. Gone off cheese. Rotten dirty shop.

    25
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    Mute Mac Ready
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    Apr 13th 2016, 11:19 AM

    Surprised they turned a profit here as with all the honouring of competitors vouchers from newspapers has to have hurt the bottom line, I must have saved €200 with Aldi and lidl vouchers!

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    Mute Tony Murphy
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    Apr 13th 2016, 12:02 PM

    Hate tesco, no price ever the same from month to month. Keep changing them so as we don’t know how much things really are. Rip off

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    Mute Eddie Byrne
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    Apr 13th 2016, 11:56 AM

    Ah now i see why they want to screw their employees but seeking wage decreases and terms and conditions. They make millions but want more. So buck the workers

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    Mute Irish Spider-Man
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    Apr 13th 2016, 8:57 AM

    Back in profit but trying to cut pay. Typical corporate entity

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    Mute liam ward
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    Apr 13th 2016, 11:14 AM

    I used to enjoy shopping at tesco in Dublin but since they put in them awful self payment checkout leading to job loses I don’t shop there and won’t until they remove them.thats why I don’t go into d banks anymore either

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    Mute Suzie Sunshine
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    Apr 13th 2016, 7:48 PM

    Liam they are extra checkouts , nobody lost their jobs over them being installed .

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    Mute Irish Spider-Man
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    Apr 13th 2016, 9:10 AM

    Back in profits and still trying to cut wages. Typical corporate entity

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    Mute Mick Kennedy
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    Apr 13th 2016, 2:37 PM

    That’s a shame the way they treat there staff

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    Mute Screaming Toddy
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    Apr 13th 2016, 6:07 PM

    Lowering wages of their staff with these massive profits. Tesco can get fu*ked

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    Apr 13th 2016, 7:01 PM

    F**K Tesco

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    Mute Keith Boland
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    Apr 13th 2016, 11:02 PM

    They still squeezing small businesses out except our family business we will fight them & we are ahead on our quality Irish grown plants not Deutch that Tesco claim are Irish .
    As a retailer it makes me happy & sad to see them letting plants drying out then dumping them . Tesco are not a good operator in Irl in comparison to uk . Supervalu are undergoing revamps off most stores & putting the Superquinn touch back to them finally .

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    Mute Rashers Tierney
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    Apr 13th 2016, 4:03 PM

    Tesco have lowered SOME of their prices since 2012. Big deal.

    2
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