Sir, Kathryn Holmquist (January 12th) employs a non sequiter in comparing most, peoples attitudes towards the X case, with their opinions relating to the provision of amniocentesis at the Rotunda Hospital.
In the referendum arising from the X case, most people voted for the right to travel, and the right to information, because they realised that a denial of these rights would mean this country being run along the lines of a police state.
Dr Peter McKenna, Master of the Rotunda Hospital, shows extraordinary naivety in stating "Testing is not about termination in my view, testing is about information. Would people in Ireland condemn a mother to only finding out at birth that her baby had Down's syndrome, when she could have known at IS to 20 weeks, which would allow her to prepare for the birth of the baby." He makes no mention of the services provided for the care and training of the mentally handicapped.
He is reported as saying that he hopes amniocentesis will ultimately reduce the number of abortions by reassuring older women and carriers of inherited disorders that their babies are healthy, thereby preventing them from aborting possibly healthy babies out of ignorance and fear
I didn't see amniocentesis reducing the overall figures for abortion what it will result in is the destruction of the handicapped in the womb. Yours, etc.. St Columba's Lodge, off Church Avenue, Killiney, Co Dublin.