A second Irish bishop has resigned following a damning report into the cover up of child abuse in the Catholic Church in Ireland.

The Bishop of Kildare, Dr James Moriarty, said in a statement on Wednesday that he had handed in his resignation to the Pope.

The Murphy report criticised clergy in the Archdiocese of Dublin for failing to report suspected child abuse over decades.

Dr Moriarty worked in the Dublin archdiocese from 1991 to 2002. When in 1993 he was informed of the suspected abuse of children by Fr Edmondus, he warned the priest but no investigation was conducted by the archdiocese and he did not press the matter further, the report noted.

"I know that any action now on my part does not take away the suffering that people have endured," he said in a statement.
"I again apologise to all the survivors and their families.

"I have today offered my resignation as Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin to the Holy Father.

"I hope it honours the truth that the survivors have so bravely uncovered and opens the way to a better future for all concerned."

His resignation follows that of the Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray, earlier in the month after the report strongly criticised his inaction over child abuse.