The South Belfast MLA stated: "The First and deputy First Minister received research a year ago on clerical abuse in faith-based settings, and yet we have not even seen that research published, far less acted upon. This is intolerable.

"Yet again this week, we see another appalling incident of a man with 45 convictions being appointed as a lay pastor. This is as gross a safeguarding failing as we can imagine - and yet how are we to know there won't be a similar case next month, or the month after?

"The First and deputy First Minister seem incapable of taking action, but protecting vulnerable people from abuse quite obviously has to be a top priority.

"What we want to see, by the summer recess, is publication of the research so it can be scrutinised but also, more importantly, a comprehensive action plan of what is going to be done to prevent such appalling safeguarding failings in future."