The Archdiocese of Dublin has confirmed that it will not be sending its trainee priests to the National Seminary in Maynooth.

The Irish Independent reports that the three students will be sent to the Irish college in Rome instead.

It comes amidst suggestion that a gay subculture exists at the seminary, after it was revealed in May that some student priests had been using a gay dating app.

Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has denied that his decision has any link to the recent scandal and that he had made his decision some time ago.

Secretary of the Evangelical Catholic initiative Paddy Monaghan has said Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has called for stronger leadership: “As the Archbishop himself said he made this decision before these rumours came out.

“But he is dead right in emphasizing the need for the quality of the seminarians in their training.

“There has been a lack of leadership in seminarians coming out of Maynooth, which is a big concern.”