THE two standing committees of the North Western Health Board decided at meetings in Donegal town yesterday to recommend to the board that the vasectomy service at Letterkenny be continued, "in line with the guidelines laid down by the Minister (for Health)".
The community services and the hospital services committees met in private to discuss the matter for 2 1/2 hours, both separately and together. They voted separately and both decided by majorities.
Members would not discuss the proceedings afterwards, but according to one source the community services committee voted seven to three for the service, while "the hospital services committee voted in favour along similar lines".
The standing committees are made up of members of the health board. But the vasectomy service at Letterkenny Hospital will not resume until the health board decides on it at its April 21st meeting.
After yesterday's meetings the chairman of the health board, Mr Harry Blaney, remained firm in his opposition to the service. He would agree with vasectomies being provided "for medical reasons", he said, but felt that that might be difficult to monitor.
He said he did not accept comments by the Minister for Health, Mr Noonan, on the controversy, and questioned whether the provision of the service by the health board was a matter of law.
It is understood that during what were at times heated debates, the objectors' arguments centred on the priority being given to a vasectomy service when, they claimed, there were greater medical needs to be met.
It was pointed out that the provision of the service was a matter of law, and that the Department of Health had allocated funds specifically for that service.
It is understood that £60,000 has been allocated for providing all family planning services in the North Western Health Board area. Of that, £5,000 was set aside for the Letterkenny clinic.
It was also argued that moving the clinic away from the hospital would result in greater expense and that, from a medical point of view, the hospital was the ideal location for such clinic.
Fears of possible legal actions being taken against the health board, should it fail to provide the service, were also raised. But "essentially, there was no discussion on the moral issue", said one source.
