Meath cllr wants Shine Medical Council reports to go to DPP

The Irish Medical Council"s report on complaints about disgraced Lourdes Hospital consultant surgeon Michael Shine should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) with a view to having complaints brought to the courts, a councillor said this week. Cllr Brian Fitzgerald, who served with Shine on the former North-Eastern Health Board and who once objected to the surgeon"s presence at a board meeting at a time when he was under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of young male patients, said that the victims were 'crying out for justice' and that mere publication of the Medical Council"s report would not suffice. The decision by the Fitness to Practice Committee of the Medical Council to strike the surgeon off its register for life was affirmed by the High Court late last month. The move followed an inquiry into complaints by former patients that he had indecently or sexually assaulted male patients. Meanwhile, a support group for victims in the general Meath-Louth area has been set up - the number to contact is (086) 165 4111. The group said that numerous people had come forward since the striking off of Shine by the Medical Council. Members of the group will meet a cross-party group of public representatives this week to put their case for further action on the Shine affair. At a public meeting of the former NEHB in November 1995, Cllr Fitzgerald raised a point of order before the meeting started, asking then chairman, Dr Hugh Dolan, if he could confirm that a member of the board was currently under investigation. He confirmed that there was. The councillor then proposed that the meeting adjourn to allow the (named) person to leave on the basis that the board should apply the same rules to members of the board as to any other ordinary members of the NEHB staff. Following a 30-minute adjournment, the meeting resumed without the presence of Dr Shine. He said this again showed that elected members were prepared to do the right thing in supporting the executive in the NEHB in protecting the rights of the people without fear at the same time as an internal investigation had cleared the surgeon of the allegations. 'The executive of the board were not prepared to accept it and initiated a move under child protection legislation that he be removed pending further investigation by the Gardai,' added the independent councillor. Cllr Fitzgerald said that while former executive members of the NEHB might not be in a position to speak publicly at this stage, it was 'only fair' that Dr Ambrose McLoughlin, deputy CEO; Dr Declan Bedford, Dr Fenton Howell, CEO Donal O"Shea and subsequent CEO Paul Robinson should be commended for their actions in the case. 'It must be said that Dr McLoughlin suffered badly in his career progression because of his affirmative action in the Shine - and also the Dr Neary - cases by being overlooked for any senior posts in the NEHB which he was well qualified for, and which resulted in tremendous loss for the NEHB and the general public,' he said. Cllr Fitzgerald said that the needs of the victims must come first in any action was now to be taken. 'Personally, I feel justified in the action I took 13 years ago despite the fact that I was in receipt of anonymous hate mail which indicated that I would be taken for everything I had if I continued. Thirteen years is an abominable length of time for the victims to have to wait for any kind of justice. 'It has been a lifetime"s wait for them and I only hope that there can be some closure for them and that they can in some way repair their lives. I now call on the Medical Council to forward the file on Shine to the Director of Public Prosecutions, as was done in the Neary case,' said Cllr Fitzgerald.