Minority hospital shareholders threaten legal action over abortion bill

James Sheehan, a director of Blackrock Medical, which holds shares in the Blackrock Clinic and the Galway Clinic, threatened to mount legal action if the Regulation of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill did not do enough to “protect” shareholders opposed to abortion.

In a letter sent to the Oireachtas health committee, he said an amendment was necessary to ensure that “minority shareholders of private hospitals’ religious beliefs are protected without being financially disadvantaged in the process”.

Mr Sheehan added that “several minority shareholders in private hospitals throughout Ireland … believe that unless the law (that is being put in place) protects the rights of minority shareholders of private hospitals (as conscientious objectors) from preventing their hospitals from doing ‘Termination of Pregnancies’ procedures, we envision significant legal action to commence immediately against the finalisation of the new bill”.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health said conscientious objection is addressed in the draft bill, and added: “The Minister for Health has no role regarding shareholders’ rights in relation to this issue.”