Claims by a Wexford GP that a recent raid on his premises was probably related to the decision by the Department of Health to publish his earnings for treating medical card patients were dismissed by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, yesterday.
Dr Stephen Bowe, the Wexford hurling team doctor who practises in Wexford town, was attacked and had the contents of his safe taken during a raid on his home last week.
His earnings from the medical card scheme, published in July, showed he received €379,000 gross from the State for treating medical card holders in 2003. Staff wages and the cost of running the practice came out of this.
Dr Bowe said that while he had no "tangible proof" the attack on him was related to the publication by the Department of this data, he believed there was a link.
Mr Martin rejected this. "I wouldn't accept the linkage at all between that attack and the publication of any information regarding GP earnings and so on like that," he said.
He added that criminals had their own way of finding out who may be wealthy. "And that's not new in Ireland, unfortunately, or indeed in any society, so I wouldn't accept the linkage between the two, although I think the attack is a terrible attack and I would condemn it wholeheartedly," he said.
Dr Bowe said he wasn't surprised at the Minister's response.
"If he accepts any kind of responsibility for it and in any way implicates himself in it, he then is answerable to any other doctor that is burgled."
He said the raid on his property by a gang, who are now being sought by the Garda, was meticulously planned. The gang included at least four men in balaclavas carrying baseball bats. They gagged him and his wife and pulled their children out of their beds. They locked them in the garage after stealing a safe and jewellery.
"The only people who go to that kind of trouble to assault and burgle are those you are informed have a lot of money and the only person that informed the public of that is the Minister or his Department," he said, adding that he did not lead an extravagant lifestyle.
Mr Martin said the information on GP earnings from medical cards was public information. "I'm not sure we could even keep it secret or keep it confidential for that matter because it's public funding."