Psychiatrist withdraws from ‘imbalanced process’
A CONSULTANT at the Mater Hospital has withdrawn from the Oireachtas committee on abortion over what she yesterday labelled a ‘deeply imbalanced’ process.
Psychiatrist Patricia Casey was scheduled to appear before the committee next week, but has pulled out on the basis that she believes it has been set up to reach a predetermined decision.
Professor Casey, a patron of the Christian think-tank the Iona Institute, said she is unwilling to participate in a process ‘that is so deeply imbalanced in respect of those invited to present evidence’.
She said: ‘It has become increasingly clear that the process of the committee has been so arranged as to reach a pre-set decision without balanced consideration of any evidence that runs contrary to this pre-determined outcome.
‘There are 25 on the pro-choice side and four with a pro-life or neutral perspective. Ireland deserves better than that.’
She said the committee was ‘failing Ireland’s unique European position in providing protection for the rights of an unborn child’,
Yesterday, independent Senator Rónán Mullen, a member of the committee, complained that they had heard from around 25 people advocating for the pro-choice side, and only three or four pro-life advocates. However, Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell denied that the committee was biased, suggesting instead that Irish society has simply moved on in a way that certain committee members did not like.
Ms O’Connell – who is also a committee member – said: ‘Now, when it’s not suiting, certain members are saying that the committee is imbalanced. I think what we have is a change in Irish society.’