Health boards across the State will consider next week whether they should suspend advertising with the Sunday Independent following its recent opinion column on the Paralympics which caused widespread offence.
Members of the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) joined in condemning the article at their monthly meeting last night. An emergency motion tabled by Labour councillor Mr Eric Byrne received crossparty support. The motion called on the ERHA to suspend advertising with the newspaper for six months.
ERHA chief executive Mr Donal O'Shea said the motion could not be passed as it was not on the agenda but it could be discussed. He would convey in writing to the editor of the Sunday Independent the views of members.
Health boards collectively tendered for their advertising every two or three years to get the best value for money. That contract, he understood, would soon be up for renewal and he would convey to other health board CEOs the views of ERHA members when he met them next week.
He felt health boards should collectively make their feelings known to the newspaper and indicate to its editor that the publication of articles like that written by Mary Ellen Synon would be a factor in who they did business with in future.
Mr John Dolan of the Disabilities Federation of Ireland said he had sought a meeting with the Minister for Justice to discuss the contents of the article.