It’s understood the decision has been taken in response to requests from Dignity4Patients, a support group for those who experience sexual abuse in healthcare, on behalf of victims and survivors of Michael Shine.
Hundreds of men say that they were abused by Shine over decades while he was a surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and operated a private practice in the town.
In spite of over 380 victims coming forward, only nine of these men have had successful prosecutions in the criminal courts.
The scoping exercise will be carried out by an independent person who will likely be a member of senior counsel, though they have not yet been appointed.
It’s expected the exercise will be completed within 16 weeks. The independent person will then report to Government with their recommendations.
The terms of reference for this scoping exercise will be finalised after engagement between the Department of Health, Dignity4Patients, relevant government departments and the Attorney General.
‘Appropriate and bespoke’
Earlier this year, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill told victims of the former doctor that she was working to deliver “an appropriate and bespoke response” to address the serious issues raised around his abuse.
A proposal to the minister on behalf of survivors had outlined why a Commission of Investigation should be conducted to investigate the longstanding claims that authorities were aware of the abuse for decades.
The document included a timeline of the harrowing history of abuse at both Our Lady of Lourdes and his private surgery, with the first report made to hospital authorities as far back as 1977.
Shine worked as a surgeon at Our Lady of Lourdes from 1964 until 1995. The hospital was run by the Medical Missionaries of Mary until it was sold to the State in 1997.
There have been about 200 civil suits settled by his former employer, the Medical Missionaries of Mary, with fresh cases filed recently in the High Court.