James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann:

considering that:

Mr. Michael Shine was struck off the Medical Register as a result of a Medical Council Fitness to Practice Committee inquiry that found Mr. Shine guilty of professional misconduct in respect of three patients of the following allegations:

making sexual advances to each of these patients;

making indecent suggestions and/or behaving indecently to each of these patients;

assaulting/indecently assaulting these patients;

undertaking inappropriate and/or improper medical examinations and/or treatments of each of these patients;

failing to treat each of these patients with due dignity and respect;

breaching the trust inherent in the doctor/patient relationship; and

bringing the medical profession into disrepute;

noting that:

the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, John Moloney T.D., stated in Dáil Éireann on 16th June, 2009, that the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney T.D., indicated that she does not propose to establish an inquiry;

calls on the Government to:

provide appropriate support services to the victims of sexual abuse;

establish a Commission of Investigation, pursuant to the Commission of Investigation Act 2004 or another form of credible inquiry, to investigate all matters in relation to and arising from this case, including an investigation into how complaints were dealt with by the Hospital, An Garda Síochána, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Health Board, the Health Service Executive, the Department of Health and Children and any other relevant party; and

ensure that proper protocols and procedures are put in place, and adhered to, by doctors, nurses, care staff, Gardaí, hospital management and so forth, so that every effort is taken to prevent this abuse from happening again.

I propose to share time with Deputies Jan O'Sullivan, Catherine Byrne and Alan Shatter. Am I eating into my time as I await the Minister's arrival?

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