Sir, – I attended the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) AGM business meeting in Galway on May 12th. There was a significant number of doctors who are pro-choice activists or pro-life activists in attendance, and the remainder was composed of those faithful souls who attend the AGM business meeting year in and year out, a total of approximately 150 people.
Although the AGM seems to have been allowed to decide policy for the college as a whole, it is in no way representative of the 2,800 college members, as delegates attend on their own initiative and are not elected to represent other members. All of those I spoke to agreed (whether in favour of the motions, or not) that college policy on such a vital and divisive issue, should be decided by consulting as widely as possible with members. Other professional bodies such as the College of Psychiatrists and the Law Society have not taken a position on the proposed legislation, especially as the details remain unknown, and before Oireachtas committee hearings have commenced. The practical implications for GPs are unknown.
The AGM ended up voting in favour of a motion (after several recounts), which would require a constitutional change to implement.
Therefore the prudent and sensible option would be to consult as widely and as thoroughly as possible with all the members of the college before taking any position. – Yours, etc,
Dr HUGH NOHILLY,
Ash Park Avenue,
Lucan, Co Dublin.
Sir, – Proponents of abortion are saying that we must legislate since the decision requiring it was made 21 years ago. But is that not precisely the reason why such a law should not be brought in? Twenty-one years is a very long time. Science is forever coming to new conclusions and the perceived wisdom now of psychiatrists is that killing the baby would not cure a pregnant girl of the inclination to suicide.
How then can we be so illogical as to drive ahead with legislation? If there were a similar Supreme Court case now, would the judges not be constrained on the basis of current psychiatric advise to deny the decision of 1992? – Yours, etc,
ELIZABETH O’HANLON,
Braemor Road,
Churchtown, Dublin 14.
Sir, – Only a few weeks ago, the new coadjutor archbishop of Armagh, Eamon Martin, chose a line from the Psalms for his motto – “Sing a new song to the Lord” (Home News, April 22nd).
Yet here we go again with that old Catholic song – in relation to abortion we must have the “courage to follow our informed conscience no matter what the consequences might be” (Opinion, May 14th).
But this is exactly what those who support abortion in exceptional cases are doing: they are having the courage to follow their consciences no matter what the consequences might be.They are simply not allowing their conscience to be informed by the Catholic church.
They are singing a new song, the song of a conscience, which is free and which has not been tampered with by any church.
This, I’m sure the archbishop will agree, takes courage. – Yours,etc,
DECLAN KELLY,
Whitechurch Road,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.
Sir, – The “cult of man believing himself God” eloquently manifests itself in the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill. In our hyper-democratic culture, it is now timely to reflect on the conviction of the Catholic liberal democrat, Count Montalembert: “The more one is a democrat the more it is necessary to be a Christian because the fervent and practical cult of God made man is the indispensable counter-weight of that perpetual tendency of democracy to establish the cult of man believing himself God.” – Yours, etc,
GERALDINE CULLEN,
Hadleigh Court,
Castleknock, Dublin 15.