The garda confidential hotline received just six phone calls in the two days following the publication of the Murphy report, in stark contrast to the 150 calls made by victims to gardaí after the publication of the Ryan report.

Various rape support groups have so far received 1,400 calls from victims abused by clerics detailed in the Murphy report, a clear indication that abuse victims are reluctant to go to gardaí. The force was heavily criticised for previously failing to act on reports of clerical abuse in the archdiocese of Dublin.

The Murphy report, which detailed clerical sex abuse in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin, was scathing about some former gardaí for failing to properly investigate allegations of clerical abuse. The lack of calls to the dedicated hotline can be attributed to victims' disillusionment with garda failures to act.

Garda commissioner Fachtna Murphy has appointed a senior investigator to examine the findings of the Murphy report. Assistant commissioner John O'Mahoney will examine how officials from both the church and the state authorities, including the gardaí, dealt with complaints of clerical child sexual abuse.

He is expected to furnish a report to the garda commissioner and Murphy will then consult with the DPP to determine if criminal liability or prosecutions arise.

Maeve Lewis, of victims' group One in Four, said that it had received 302 call directly related to the publication of the Murphy report. "The report was scathing of how some gardaí handled things it in the past. But our experience of the gardaí has been that they are very receptive to dealing with the situation now," she said.