An extraordinary dispute between two of Ireland's most senior Roman Catholic clergymen has broken out over access to files concerning allegations of clerical child sexual abuse.

Cardinal Desmond Connell has begun legal action to prevent documents handed over by Dr Diarmuid Martin, his successor to the archbishopric of Dublin, to a government inquiry examining complaints against paedophile priests.

More than 60,000 papers have already been handed over to the Commission of Investigation into Child Sex Abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese. In contrast to Dr Martin, who has declared his willingness to give up the exemption from legal inspection that the files enjoy, Cardinal Connell has gone to the High Court to assert his claim that they are privileged and protected by solicitor-client confidentiality.

Legal and religious commentators said that a clash of this nature between two senior figures was unprecedented. The disputed documents are said to include correspondence between the cardinal and his solicitor.

Some letters relate to legal advice given after claims of child sexual abuse were made, while others include discussions on the potential for insurance against such claims. Some of the material may date back to 1988 when Cardinal Connell was made Archbishop of Dublin.

“This cynical attempt to use legal manoeuvres to limit the work of this statutory investigation is a slap in the face to the women and men who have waited decades for truth, for justice and for some sense of closure,” said Deirdre Fitzpatrick, advocacy director of the One in Four charity, which supports sex abuse victims.

Allegations of sexual abuse have been made against more than 100 priests who served in the Archdiocese of Dublin. The commission was established in 2006 by the Irish Government to investigate how allegations of child abuse against priests between January 1, 1975, and May 1, 2004, were handled. Dr Martin, who succeeded Cardinal Connell after he retired in 2004, agreed last year to hand over related documents.

The Cardinal is due to return to Ireland from Rome today. The Dublin Archdiocese said that it hoped the matter could be resolved quickly. The Cardinal's legal team declined to comment before a judicial review at the High Court in Dublin on Monday.

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