The latest reports by the National Board for the Protection of Children have been published.
Some 325 allegations were made against 141 priests or brothers in Ireland since 1941, resulting in only eight criminal convictions.
Allegations relate to the period between 1941 and 1995 - with one allegation relating to abuse having taken place in 2003.
The latest tranche of reports by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) have been published.
An audit by the watchdog of eight male religious orders and 35 smaller orders of nuns found that the Jesuit Order failed to tell the gardaí about at least 22 allegations of child sexual abuse made against its members in the past 40 years.
The order say it did not meet the threshold for reporting.
The Rosminian Order has also been criticised for significant delays in making written reports of allegations before 2009.
The NBSCCCI concludes: "Overall there is considerable improvement in safeguarding practice evidenced in these reports".
"The history is undeniable, that once again a significant number of children were abused in the care of religious. What is strikingly different from past responses is a determination to respond pastorally, report to the civil authorities promptly and to seek guidance in order to minimize risk to children".
It adds: "There is no doubt about the commitment of all the leaders to ensure that the abuse that was inflicted on children will not be repeated".
The Board also says it is important that complainants come forward if there are still unreported allegations of abuse, and "encourages reporting to the diocese/religious order and to the civil authorities".
The manager of Connect Counselling, Theresa Merrigan, is advising anyone who is distressed by today’s publication to contact their support service.
Those affected by these reports can call Connect Counselling on 1800-477-477 (Republic of Ireland), 00800-477-477-77 (UK and Northern Ireland) and 00353-(0)-1-865-7495 (Outside RoI and UK)
