The Tánaiste says the government will discuss whether or not to apologise to Louise O'Keeffe.

The Cork woman who was sexually abused by her school principal in 1973 yesterday called for the Taoiseach to apologise to her on behalf of the State.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that the State failed in its obligation to protect her from the abuse she suffered as an 8-year-old child.

Her abuser, Leo Hickey, was jailed for three years and was ordered to pay Ms. O'Keeffe over €300,000 in damages in a civil action.

But both the High Court and Supreme Courts previously dismissed a claim of direct negligence against the State because they said the State did not directly employ him.

But yesterday the ECHR ruled in her favour by 11 votes to 6. The court said it was an inherent obligation of a government to protect children from ill-treatment, especially in a primary education context.

It found that "That obligation had not been met when the Irish State...continued to entrust the management of the primary education of the vast majority of young Irish children to National Schools, without putting in place any mechanism of effective State control against the risks of such abuse occurring".

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore says the government is taking the matter 'very seriously' and an apology will be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting.