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CONCERN HAS BEEN raised over comments from a member of the Mater hospital board of governors that it “cannot comply” with the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.
Fr Kevin Doran told The Irish Times today that the Dublin hospital’s board is to meet to see whether or how it will abide by the legislation, which provides for a woman’s right to an abortion in life-saving circumstances.
The Mater is one of 25 ‘appropriate institutions’ named in the act where such abortions could take place.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health said it has not yet been decided if the Department will make an official statement on the matter.
Senator and Professor John Crown told TheJournal.ie that the statement “just raised my ire” this morning.
He said that the comments from Fr Doran were “outrageous”.
Crown noted that he has previously said himself that he believes refusing life-saving treatment or drugs at a hospital because of Catholic ethos means “you are not pro-life – you are pro-death”.
He said that “serious questions have to be asked” of governing boards at hospitals, and whether religious institutions divested themselves of hospitals to divest themselves of assets when facing abuse claims, while retaining management control.
“The Mater needs to carefully look at what they are saying here,” said Senator Crown.
He said that Ireland needs a fundamental reform of its hospital service, where there can be religious hospitals who have their own rules, but that people should be free to choose which hospital they attend.
However, he fears that under proposed hospital groupings, “people will lose these options”. Health Minister James Reilly plans to create six regional groupings for the State’s hospitals.
Each group would contain between six and eleven hospitals, including one major teaching hospital. Minister Reilly described it as a “fundamental modernisation of our health system organisation”.
Healthcare staff will be expected to work across a group rather than in individual hospitals.
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Migrants in Calais are watching with interest.
@Tim McCormack29: at 250k each I’d say watching is all theyl be doing
@Tim McCormack29: so is the US Army, and a host of other countries
@Mumpsimus: Think you misunderstood, they were trying to figure out how to stow away on it
And still he gets his Irish disability payment every Wednesday
@MAX POWER: Explain?
@MAX POWER: what’s so wrong with a hobby for life ….
The future of window-cleaning.
Well done
If at first you fall…. fly fly fly again…. great job.
The future. Holidays on a whim. Departing from my backyard direct to Palma
Vivia Zapata!
Great Scott!!
@Luke Lee: where we’re going we don’t need roads.
One way of beating the hard border
Did he have a passport !!!
@Den Henry: no need – luckily completed before brexit
Viva Zapata!
He’s the Mother of Invention
Green Goblin.
Brexit Border Beater
Brexit Border Beater
@Ken O’Sullivan: and Trump Wall beater too.
So the first crash was largely caused by the health and safety police not letting him refuel where he needed it. Go health and safety!
Looks like Michael O’Leary is trying flyuber
James Bond did it 30 years ago
have your say