Timothy Cardinal Dolan has blasted The New York Times for claiming that he gave payments to pedophile priests when he was Bishop of Milwaukee.

The Times revealed that documents recently released showed that the diocese agreed to pay accused priests $20,000 each to facilitate them leaving the priesthood.

“The New York Times does not have a reputation for fair and accurate reporting when it comes to this issue,” Dolan said yesterday after Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “So, to respond to charges like that — that are groundless and scurrilous — in my book it’s useless and counterproductive.”

Joseph Zwilling, New York Archdiocese spokesman,had  told The New York Post last week that there was no “payoff” to pedophile priests — only “charity.”

Dolan, who is now in Ireland on a week’s visit, denied that similar payments to pedophile suspected priests were made in the New York Archdiocese.

“No, thank God. Cardinal Egan did a splendid job — that’s all taken care of,” said Dolan, referring to his predecessor, Edward Cardinal Egan.

Dolan also lashed out at  SNAP, the  Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests —who first revealed the payments  stating “SNAP has no credibility whatsoever.”

SNAP director David Clohessy retorted.

“It’s sad that America’s top Catholic official won’t answer a simple question: How many predator priests got how much money to quietly move on . . . perhaps to molest again?” Clohessy said. “This is a predictable tactic bishops use when forced to defend the indefensible — they attack the messenger.”