The HIA inquiry has found that the Catholic Diocese of Down and Connor failed to raise concerns about serial child abuser, Fr Brendan Smyth, and did not raise allegations of abuse to social services or the police. 

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Sir Anthony Hart said there should be a "wholehearted and unconditional recognition that they failed to protect children from abuse."  

It's been an important day for the victims of historical abuse in Northern Ireland. Thanks for following our live coverage of the HIA findings - you can keep up to date with this and other stories throughout the day on the BBC News NI website.

BBC News NI's Kevin Sharkey covered the inquiry from start to finish. For further background on the HIA, read his assessment of what happened.

Margaret McGuckin, whose brother was one of the victims of sexual abuse, said today is what victims have "waited a lifetime for". She added: “Today we are believed. As young children who tried to complain about our abuse and no one would listen." 

“In particular the religious orders and these holy devout Christian people disbelieved us and even bullied us more for daring to complain. Today we are vindicated," she added. 

The De La Salle Brothers have issued a statement following the HIA inquiry report.

It said: "First and foremost, we the Brothers wish to reiterate publicly what we said to the Inquiry on 15th January 2014: We accept and deeply regret that boys in our care were abused. 

"We offer our sincere and unreserved apology to all those whom we failed to protect. 

"That some Brothers abused boys in their care was in total contradiction of their vocations as De la Salle Brothers and of their mission as established by our founder, namely to look after the welfare and educational needs of deprived, vulnerable and abandoned children,"  the statement added. 

The Sisters of Nazareth have apologised for child abuse in institutions ran by the order following the publication of the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry report.  

In a statement it said: "We again apologise to anyone who has suffered abuse whether psychological, physical, sexual or neglect on any occasion when the sisters' standard of care fell below what was expected of them. 

"It was always the desire of the order to provide a safe place for children and when we failed on any occasion, we want to express our deepest regret. 

"We will now fully reflect on the contents of the report and make a considered response to the new Executive on the implementation of the recommendations," the statement added.    

The Diocese of Down and Connor says it acknowledges "with a profound sense of shame" the report prepared by the HIA. In a statement, the Diocese of Down and Connor apologised "wholeheartedly, unconditionally and unreservedly to all those who have suffered abuse and carried the legacy of such appalling experiences from childhood as a result of any failing on the part of a representative of this diocese."

"The Diocese of Down and Connor will examine carefully and reflect upon the full report, on its findings and conclusions, and will continue to work closely alongside religious congregations and other state, voluntary and church providers of institutional care to assist the Executive Office of the Northern Ireland Assembly in addressing the recommendations of this report. 

The HIA inquiry panel has called for a Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Abuse. The post would help people to access records to enable them to apply for compensation to the HIA redress board. 

The HIA inquiry panel is recommending that there should be a minimum amount of compensation available to victims of institutional abuse here. It suggests the upper limit should be capped somewhere between £60,000 and £80,000. 

The panel has also recommended that applications for compensation must be made within 5 years of the establishment of a HIA redress board. They are also recommending that any voluntary institution found to have made systemic failings should be asked to assist with payments.  

The HIA panel is recommending that it would be "just and humane" that the spouse or children of deceased victims of institutional abuse be able to claim 75% of the compensation that would have been awarded to their relatives if they were still alive. 

 At least 12 people have died since making their application to the inquiry.  

The HIA report has recommended that compensation should be paid to victims of abuse in the form of a lump sum payment.

The panel says compensation should not be paid to anyone, simply because they were resident in an institution in which abuse was found. However it is recommending that some children who were not themselves abused but subjected to the ‘harsh’ atmosphere of being surrounded by abuse should be compensated.  

The HIA inquiry found that the Norbertine Order failed to take steps to expel Fr Brendan Smyth, the Northern Ireland-born cleric who was eventually convicted of dozens of offences against children over a 40-year period, from the priesthood.

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When the HIA Inquiry was sitting, it heard evidence from adults who were sent from NI to Australia as child migrants. Speaking today, Sir Anthony Hart said: "It was wrong to send children who were so young to Australia and [Manor House Home] failed to give truthful information to the parents of children who were sent (there) and who inquired where their child was."

"All the institutions who sent children to Australia failed to ensure that those who travelled  with the children were suitable to care for them," he added.   

The HIA inquiry has "not found any credible evidence to show that there is any basis for the allegations or anything to show that the security agencies were complicit in any sort of sexual abuse" at Kincora Boys' Home.

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The report found that: "those residents of Kincora who were sexually abused by Mains, Semple and McGrath were let down by those three individuals, who committed sexual abuse of the gravest kind to teenage boys in their care".  

On William McGrath, a former housemaster at Kincora, Sir Anthony Hart said: "We are satisfied that McGrath was never an agent of the state. William McGrath was a sexual pervert who had political views of a bizarre type". 

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Sir Anthony added McGrath was a "minor player on a wider political stage who managed to create a spurious air of importance through Tara (a one-time Ulster loyalist movement). It was never more than an organisation of occasional interest to the security forces." Three senior staff at Kincora Boys' - McGrath, Raymond Semple and Joseph Mains - were jailed in 1981 for abusing 11 boys.  

Sir Anthony Hart: Not all the surviving former residents of the Kincora Boys' Home could be traced but the great majority of those who were traced were not sexually abused during their time there. 

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Kincora opened in 1958 and closed in 1980. 245 boys stayed there during that period, 104 were traced and interviewed and of those, 38 were abused at some point. The great majority were unaware at the time of what was going on in the home.