Taoiseach Micheal Martin said Pope Leo XIV was ‘very clear and frank’ that the Church needs to support survivors of abuse.

Mr Martin and his wife Mary were greeted in the San Damaso Courtyard on Friday morning by Prefect of the Papal Household Petar Rajic.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said there was ‘a lot of anger’ across the EU at the treatment of flotilla activists.

Dr Margaret Connolly is among 12 Irish citizens from an aid flotilla mission detained by Israel.