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By Brendan Furlong Irish Examiner
FORMER Bishop of Ferns, Dr Brendan Comiskey, who resigned over his handling of sex abuse allegations against the late Fr Sean Fortune, is expected to give evidence to the inquiry into sex abuse in the diocese later this month.
Dr Comiskey, resigned in disgrace, on April 1, 2002, and is understood to be in New York undertaking an addiction counselling course.
The diocese sold his luxury bungalow on the Curracloe road outside the town, which was purchased as a retirement home.
It is expected that an interim report of the Ferns non-statutory inquiry into clerical sex abuse is to be given to Health Minister Micheál Martin by the end of the month.
The inquiry has now shifted to St Peter’s College in Wexford town, which trained many of the priests involved in the allegations.
Complaints from parishioners in Monageer, Poulfur, Co Wexford, and other areas will continue to be heard.
Over the past 50 years there have been an average of 130 priests practising in the diocese at any given time, most of whom were ordained in St Peter’s.
Despite the fact that some of the priests involved in the inquiry including Fr Sean Fortune and Fr Jim Grennan are now deceased, every aspect of complaints against them is being examined.
Evidence from alleged victims and from those who have information in relation to the handling of clerical sex abuse and related agencies such as the South Eastern Health Board (SEHB) and gardaí involved, began to be heard last September.
However, some 40 alleged victims have given evidence since a second round of advertisements seeking submissions appeared in the national press, with the figure continuing to rise.
All submissions are being crosschecked with files received from the SEHB, the Catholic Church and gardaí, and which has resulted in case briefs being assembled.
Other aspects of the inquiry centred around how the gardaí in the diocese responded and handled any type of sexual allegations made against clerics.
The handling and role of a number of senior officials within the SEHB into any clerical allegations has also been examined.
It had originally been thought that the inquiry, which is examining allegations of clerical sex abuse over several decades, would have the bulk of its work completed by March.
However, the inquiry, which has now been up and running for the past five months after several delayed starts, was extended by several weeks due to the numbers giving evidence.
The compilation of information for the interim report has been ongoing and once Mr Martin reads it, he will then decide whether its findings to date should be published.
The Church has agreed to pay compensation to six victims of Fr Fortune. The most recent settlements involve two men who were abused by the priest during the 1980s. It is understood that both men are to receive close to €300,000.
