The Archbishop of Dublin has pleaded with the Vatican to publish its overdue blueprint for the reform of the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has revealed his ‘increasing impatience’ with the Vatican over its failure to print the report commissioned by Pope Benedict last year.

A team of leading foreign clerics undertook a special probe of the scandal-hit Irish church and their investigations were completed before Easter.

The Vatican was scheduled to report their findings by the end of May but the Archbishop is still waiting to see the document.

“The Holy Father initiated a process of support for the Irish Church which is set out in his Letter to the Catholics of Ireland,” said Dr Martin.

“His commitment to the Irish church is remarkable. I have experienced only support from him in my mission through his teaching and personal support.”

The Archbishop then revealed that he is keen to learn the findings of the Vatican probe as soon as possible.

“I am impatient to learn about the path that the Apostolic Visitation will set out for renewal for the Irish church so that our renewal will move forward decisively,” he added.

“I am also becoming increasingly impatient at the slowness in the process which began over a year ago. This is not a criticism of the Holy Father. It is an appeal to his collaborators.

“The pace of the change in Irish religious culture is such that the longer the delay in advancing the fruits of the Apostolic Visitation, the greater the danger of false expectations and the greater the encouragement to those who prefer immobilism to reform.”

The Vatican probe was ordered in the wake of the Murphy Report into clerical child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese