Bertie's Anti Church Claims 'Appalling', Says Labour

A Labour TD has today called Bertie Ahern's comments regarding the Ryan report on church abuse "despicable".

The Labour spokesman on family affairs, Michael Higgins was speaking after the former Taoiseach suggested politicians were "jumping on the bandwagon" over the affair.

The Labour spokesman is incensed at the comments made by Mr Ahern, when during a Newstalk radio programme on Monday, Mr Ahern said: "You hear politicians hopping on the anti catholic church.

"I think that's sad, most of them were educated by the catholic church, and now here they are just jumping at it and running around wanting to sell catholic schools and churches."

Michael Higgins claimed the former Taoiseach should be reflecting on all of the findings, rather than seeking to "blacken the names of those rightly concerned".

Mr Higgins said: "This is an appalling statement at any time. At the present time, as it seeks to distort the widespread public anger at a deal and an arrangement that was not then, and is not now, in the public interest, it is wholly despicable."

"On the publication of the Ryan Report, members of the public can see what it meant to victims to have to present descriptions of physical abuse, but not sexual abuse, before those deciding on their cases.

"Even then, those who held influence within the conservative parties of government were planning to limit their liability for the consequences of their actions," Mr Higgins said.

(DW/BMcC)