No "hidden agenda or unspoken policy" on abortion has been adopted by the Eastern Health Board in the `C' case, the chief executive officer of the board said yesterday. Mr P.J. Fitzpatrick told a meeting of the board that he deeply resented such allegations. There was no such policy in operation.
Many staff members and individuals were involved in the case and he could not entertain any talk of alleged impropriety.
There had been a consistent attempt to claim that he or his staff had a hidden agenda in relation to the case. That was not the truth.
The EHB paid and employed its staff to carry out the law. It did not make the law, it carried out the law of the land.
They lived in a democracy. "We do not legislate and we must implement the laws of the land. We cannot do otherwise or we would be acting ultra vires."
The CEO was replying to allegations by Mrs Bernadette Bonar and Mr Tommy Cullen, who had put down a motion calling on the EHB to accept the guidelines of the Medical Council in relation to medical matters.
Mrs Bonar said this council and its doctors were the most eminently qualified to give advice and they should be listened to.
Mr Cullen said the pro-abortion lobby knew that people would not vote for abortion so they looked for extreme cases to introduce abortion by the back door. "A child is dead and that child has no voice in this chamber."
Mr Fitzpatrick said the doctors' guidelines applied to doctors, while nurses, dentists and pharmacists had another set of guidelines for their professions.
The motion was defeated by an overwhelming majority, with only Mrs Bonar and Mr Cullen voting for.