The Alliance Party's Executive Office Spokesperson, Paula Bradshaw, has claimed that a lack of action by the First Minister and deputy First Minister regarding safeguarding in faith-based environments is placing vulnerable people, including children, in danger.

The South Belfast MLA highlighted that findings from research into clerical abuse within faith-based settings were delivered to the First Minister and deputy First Minister twelve months ago, but the report has neither been made public nor acted upon. She described the current situation as intolerable. Paula Bradshaw stated: "The First and deputy First Minister received research a year ago on clerical abuse in faith-based settings, and yet we have not even seen that research published, far less acted upon. This is intolerable.

"Yet again this week, we see another appalling incident of a man with 45 convictions being appointed as a lay pastor. This is as gross a safeguarding failing as we can imagine - and yet how are we to know there won't be a similar case next month, or the month after?

"The First and deputy First Minister seem incapable of taking action, but protecting vulnerable people from abuse quite obviously has to be a top priority.

"What we want to see, by the summer recess, is publication of the research so it can be scrutinised but also, more importantly, a comprehensive action plan of what is going to be done to prevent such appalling safeguarding failings in future."