NEW abortion legislation will force the Mater Hospital in Dublin to "compromise its Catholic ethos," a right-wing think tank has claimed.
The Iona Institute was commenting in the wake of claims by
hospital board member Fr Kevin Doran, who objects to the Mater having to
comply with the terms of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy legislation.The hospital board has yet to discuss the law allowing for limited abortion where a woman's life is at risk, but the Department of Health insists it has no legal right to opt out of its implementation.
Dr John Murray, spokesman for the Institute said: "According to some legal experts, the refusal of the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act to respect the ethos of Catholic hospitals could be unconstitutional."
"As a result, the board of the Mater could well decide to take a constitutional case against the new law," he added.
"The new law will force it to compromise its ethos. Under it, Mater could be faced with a scenario where it is told to perform an abortion that clashes with its ethos, for example, where a woman is deeemed to be suicidal."