Hundreds more people have been identified as victims of Irish paedophile priests in a second devastating scandal to rock the country.

A report being handed to Ireland's Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has detailed priests and up to 450 of their victims in the Archdiocese of Dublin following a mammoth investigation looking at files dating back to 1940.

The focus of the report is on a culture of power centred on 19 bishops - seven of whom are now dead - and how this influenced their handling of allegations against the priests.

According to reports, 15 priests could be named. Eleven are said to have previously been convicted and there are four already well known - three allegedly face charges and one has reportedly pleaded guilty. A trial could be held next April.

Mr Ahern and his department will examine the report and the Attorney General Paul Gallagher or the High Court may be asked to assess if publication will prejudice ongoing prosecutions.

Judge Yvonne Murphy has headed up a government-appointed commission set up in 2006 to investigate a representative sample of 46 priests who have had complaints made against them between 1975 and 2004.

The 19 bishops include four archbishops of Dublin - Most Rev John Charles McQuaid, Most Rev Dermot Ryan, Most Rev Kevin McNamara and Cardinal Desmond Connell.

Thirteen of the other bishops were or are auxiliary bishops in Dublin and include Bishop Joseph Carroll (dead), Bishop Brendan Comiskey (resigned as Bishop of Ferns in 2002), Bishop Martin Drennan (Bishop of Galway), Bishop Patrick Dunne (deceased), Bishop Ray Field (auxiliary Bishop in Dublin) and Bishop Laurence Forristal (Bishop of Ossory to 2007).

Also included are Bishop James Kavanagh (dead), Bishop Jim Moriarty (Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin), Bishop Donal Murray (Bishop of Limerick), Bishop Dermot O'Mahony (retired), Bishop Fiachra Ni Ceallaigh (auxiliary bishop in Dublin), Bishop Eamonn Walsh (auxiliary bishop in Dublin and apostolic administrator to Ferns from April 2002 to April 2006) and Bishop Desmond Williams (dead).

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