The board had "raised expectations" among complainants and their school principal that it could "resolve the matter" when the reality was its powers were restricted.

In this case Dr Patrick Judge, the board's Director of Community Care was not authorised to notify the Diocese, as he did, that Fr James Grennan had abused schoolgirls in Monageer.

The report told how the Monageer case involving allegations of abuse by Fr Grennan came to light in 1988. It was the first time the health board had received an allegation of abuse about a priest.

On April 26 1988, 10 girls approached the principal of their school, Mr Higgins, saying Fr Grennan - the chaplain and chairman of the school board -had touched them under their skirts and inside their clothing. The principal contacted Childline who advised him to refer the matter to the health board giving him a contact number of Joe Symth. Mr Symth asked a social worker to visit the school on April 27 and met with the girls.

This group interview was criticised by the report saying they should be spoken to individually to avoid "contaminating evidence" for future court proceedings and this could have jeopardised a prosecution.

The social worker believed there was substance to the allegations and their parents were asked to bring them to the Community Child Centre in Waterford Regional Hospital for assessemnt by the Validation Unit Medical Officer, Dr Geraldine Nolan on May 4 1988.

This is cache, read story here