Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said the Catholic Church hierarchy has the responsibility of restoring trust in the administration of the institution.
In an interview on RTÉ Radio's Gerry Ryan Show, Mr Cowen also spoke of the fallout from the Murphy Report into clerical child abuse in the Dublin Catholic archdiocese.
He said the gardaí would deal with any matters arising from it as they saw appropriate.
'The institution of the Church in Ireland has taken a huge battering in terms of its reputation and it'll have to be rehabilitated by those in authority in that area to do so.
'That's an issue, an issue a task and a consequence that they will have to deal with.
'As Taoiseach of the country, I'm very clear in my mind that as a State, our job is to ensure that everyone is amenable to the law and as you know this matter has been referred by the Garda Commissioner an assistant to deal with any issues that arise out of that report and they will be dealt with appropriately by the gardaí if necessary', he said.
