Sir, – Conor Graham suggests “Better to leave hospital protocol to people who act on evidence” (August 8th) with regard to Fr Kevin Doran’s raising of questions on how ethical the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act is and whether the Mater can comply with it. In fact, aspects of the Act are not supported by evidence, and that is why the ethical issues arise. – Is mise,
AONGHUS Ó hALMHAIN,
Páirc na Seilbhe,
Baile an Chinnéidigh,
Co Chill Mhantáin.
Sir, – If the Catholic Church wishes to retain effective control of certain hospitals against State policy, it should immediately announce how it is going to fund these hospitals. The church should be billed by the State in the meantime for the costs of Catholic hospitals which will not comply with State legislation and HSE national policy.This will free up the State funds for transfer to hospitals which can be run for medical necessity rather than religious “ethos”. This should be the true direction of any hospital.
Alternatively, the church may consider ending this anachronism by transferring lands and full control of medical institutions under its control towards part of its unpaid “contribution” to the State and taxpayers’ bills for redress. This would go so some towards resolving the recent “can’t pay” claim by religious institutions and free them from the burden of being involved in medical procedures (such as saving women’s lives) that go against their “ethos”. – Yours, etc,
ANDREW DOYLE,
Lislevane,
Bandon, Co Cork.
A chara, – Conor D Graham states, “Better to leave hospital protocol to people who act on evidence” (August 8th). If this debate was about evidence-based actions, the threat of suicide as justification for an abortion would not have been included in the new Act. – Is mise,
Rev Fr PATRICK G
BURKE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.
Sir, – The Taoiseach has explicitly declared that he stands with the Republic and against theocracy. The main Irish hospitals should follow suit. – Yours, etc,
GEORGE LAIRD,
Rue de la Petite Colline,
Mallemort,
France.
Sir, – Vincent Kelly believes that if a particular hospital were to be entirely funded by the State, then its ethos (and presumably the ethos of those who work in it) should be the “law of the land” (August 8th). I would respectfully remind Mr Kelly that just because a law is passed does not make something just, ethical or moral. In Nazi Germany, was seizing Jewish property and taking Jewish lives the right thing to do just because the law of the land said so?
Because such actions were legal according to the laws of that land at the time, did it absolve those who carried out those crimes that were permissible, and even obligated, according to the “laws of the land”? No, it did not. At the subsequent Nuremberg Trials it was found that if legal requirements and actions were unjust, the defence of “I was only follows orders” on the part of those who carried out the unjust acts would be no excuse. – Yours, etc,
JOHN B REID,
Knapton Road,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.
