A NUMBER of new complaints have been made to the Garda in recent weeks by former patients of Drogheda surgeon Michael Shine.
Mr Shine was struck off the medical register late last year after the medical council found him guilty of professional misconduct over his alleged inappropriate behaviour towards three young male patients while working as a consultant general surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
He worked at the hospital from 1964 until 1995, when he retired on a full pension following complaints against him over the alleged sexual assault and indecent assault of young male patients.
A group representing former patients of Mr Shine said yesterday that since he was struck off in November it has received calls from more than 80 further former patients alleging they too were among his victims.
Bernadette Sullivan, spokeswoman for the support group which calls itself Aire, said a number of these new callers had now made complaints to the gardaí and more were contemplating also doing so.
She said the group met with Minister for Justice and local TD Dermot Ahern before Christmas and he confirmed that there had been nine fresh complaints to gardaí since November in relation to Mr Shine's alleged behaviour.
There was a previous Garda investigation into complaints against Mr Shine several years ago. He was acquitted on all indecent assault charges when tried at Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court in 2003.
Ms Sullivan said Aire now wants an inquiry into how his alleged misdemeanours were allowed to continue for so long at the hospital and how the original complaints against him were dealt with by the criminal justice system.
Their feelings on why an inquiry is necessary have already been outlined to Mr Ahern and the group now also wants to meet Minister for Health Mary Harney to outline to her why an inquiry is necessary and to seek a helpline manned by skilled counsellors for Mr Shine's victims.
Aire can be contacted on 086-1654111.