The Court of Appeal has halted three actions for damages brought against a bishop over the church's alleged failure to act to prevent paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth from sexually abusing children.
A man, his sister and a cousin were taking the action.
It was being taken against against the Bishop of Kilmore, Dr Leo O'Reilly, as representative of the Diocese of Kilmore; and Cardinal Sean Brady in his former capacity as a secretary to former Bishop of Kilmore Francis McKiernan during a church investigation into complaints about Fr Brendan Smyth in 1975.
The three people have previously settled court actions in the North.
However they claimed those settlements, of stg£25,000 (€35,392) each, did not adequately compensate them.
Today the Court of Appeal upheld a former decision by the High Court, stopping the actions here against Bishop O'Reilly.
Mary Carolan is higher courts reporter with the Irish Times.
She explained the grounds behind these cases to Newstalk Lunchtime.
