There has been a 43% increase in the number of Catholic priests who served in the Dublin diocese who have had allegations of child sexual abuse made against them or who have come under suspicion.
The new figures from the Dublin dioceses come days ahead of closed, official hearings into its management of abuse.
The number of priests under the spotlight has jumped from 102 last year to 147 at present.
The diocese says it has paid out €7.8m to settle claims by survivors of abuse.
A spokesperson for Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, said most of the increase is due to the diocese adding to its audit concerns expressed anywhere about priests from religious orders who worked in the diocese since 1940.
The Commission of Investigation into the Dublin Archdiocese, chaired by Justice Yvonne Murphy, has just completed almost two months of hearings involving survivors.
Next week the three-person commission expects to begin about two months of hearings involving diocesan authorities, including Archbishop Martin's predecessor, Cardinal Desmond Connell.
