I hope Dr Gabriel Scally (March 9) did not feel spurned or jilted by NHS civil servant Mr Richard Pengelly when Dr Scally generously offered his specialist experience and knowledge to any future Muckamore Hospital abuse scandal inquiry.
According to the report Mr Pengelly inferred that a ‘minister’, as opposed to a senior civil servant like himself, would make decisions around the future convening of any inquiry. The impressive prowess and extensive NHS experience of Dr Scally, both locally and in Great Britain, might be of inestimable value when considering the treatment of people with disabilities. We already have the PSNI involved in the Muckamore case, armed apparently with copious quantities of CCTV film, so that the key issue of pursuing a criminal investigation is effectively taken care of.
An infinitely greater threat to people with disability in the north is arguably emerging at the end of this current month. April will see changes to abortion law welcomed by pro-choice politicians, abortion activists and some senior legal specialists.
The Muckamore scandal has been fixed firmly in the public domain by the media; to the point where any attempt at a government or NHS cover-up seems highly unlikely, improbable, or downright impossible. In contrast the final abortion settlement to be inflicted on the north, by the so-called ‘Northern Ireland Office’ remains a complete mystery. The people of the north have been treated as vassals by their colonial overlords in London when it comes to abortion legislation. Catholic and Evangelical culture or ethos locally, should have been taken full account of when the question of allowing abortion for non-fatal disabilities was considered. Has anyone in Belfast or Stormont even touched upon this topic with legislators, or are a Great Britain dominated group of activists and lawyers unilaterally deciding what is best for us?
Abortion beyond 24 weeks might best sail under a different name – ‘infanticide’. Abortion under 12 weeks is seen by some as an extension of contraception, or ‘reproductive rights’, a viewpoint totally incompatible with clinical science or public morals. The demonic darkness of our London-hatched local abortion legislation will best be exposed when we see how unborn children with Down’s Syndrome are going to be ‘treated’. If Dr Scally wished to honour the legacy of his pioneering father and the visionary generation who fixed the original Muckamore village community for people with learning difficulty, might he consider allowing his academic expertise to help guide the implementation of local abortion law as it impacts unborn children with Down’s Syndrome?
A secretive London-based Eugenics task force may have been covertly taking us for a ride in the six months running towards the 1st of April – April Fools Day.
TJ HARDY
Belfast BT5
Rationale for receiving Holy Communion in hands is questionable
The Irish Catholic bishops rapidly implemented measures in response to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) hoping to limit virus transmission in churches. This guidance was apparently developed alongside the Irish government HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) who released a public health document COVID-19 Guidance for Religious Services. This goes beyond general hygiene measures and has included draining Holy Water fonts, suspending the ‘sign of peace’ and enforcing reception of Holy Communion in the hand.
Virus transmission onto the hands is possible from touching any contaminated surface, however the guidance issued by the HSPC and promulgated in Catholic churches advises specifically that Communion be received onto those hands. The recommendations further advise that Holy Communion should not be onto the tongue. This does not appear to be well reasoned as all Holy Communion is ultimately placed on the tongue. The reception of Holy Communion onto the hands, involves the host being first touched by the hand of the priest and then both hands of the communicant, before being placed on the tongue anyway, which will increase the risk of viral transmission not reduce it. The hand of a priest could become contaminated from inadvertent contact with either the tongue or the hand of a communicant, but accidentally touching the hand is much more likely.
No one, Roman Catholic or not, can stop consuming food or fluids, so the rationale for even considering this point in guidance is questionable. The bishops appear not to have considered any alternatives such as assigning a priest or eucharistic minister to solely administer communion to those who wish to receive it on their tongue.
THOMAS McLAUGHLIN
Belfast BT7
Religion should not be an issue of employment
Mr O’Fiach – ‘Nonsense to suggest religious count is answer to reflective police service’ (March 5) – dismisses the idea of a Police Service that carries religious allegiance as an important fact to its structure.
Of course he is correct in an ideal world where equality is not a new fangled thing religion ought not be an issue when applying for a position of employment.
This is not an ideal environment. Has he ever read job advertisements “applications from Roman Catholics and women encouraged as these are underrepresented”. And this is not the PSNI. That is our world.
In the now defunct RUC Catholic representation (like the shipyard, Mackies etc) there was a virtual 100 per cent Protestant workforce.
With the inception of the PSNI explicit efforts to increase Catholics representation were made. Why the low take up? I’d opine intimidation of the would-be recruit or his/her family is a major cause of this. Intimidation by cowards and criminals.
There is a real push for a united Ireland. Does Mr O’Fiach think that this will be utopia? Of course it will not. Explicit efforts will be made to make every avenue of employment open to all. Every emerging country, will have checks and balances, be it religion or ethnicity.
MANUS McDAID
Derry City
Flawed argument
Mary Kelly’s article on Queen’s University (March 7) was one of a large number of pieces from nationalist commentators claiming that we should all move on and there is nothing to see here. But her arguments were flawed.
If they were singing the National Anthem and had the RUC band at graduation ceremonies when she was at Queen’s it merely underscores how long ago she graduated.
Her experience is, frankly, irrelevant to the current discussion – unless she has the mistaken belief that God Save the Queen and the band of a police force which no longer exist feature in graduation ceremonies in the 2020s.
She questions why the murder of Edger Graham being raised. It keeps being brought up precisely because those who murdered him are defended and justified. If someone had defended Dr Miriam Daly’s murderers would Mary Kelly dismiss that as “juvenile”? We won’t know because, thankfully, the issue hasn’t arisen.
SAMUEL MORRISON
Dromore, Co Down
