Struck-off Shine due in High Court in November

The first civil proceedings against former Drogheda surgeon Michael Shine are understood to have been given priority listing in the High Court in November.
A dozen men started civil actions against the struck-off doctor earlier this year, seeking damages for alleged assault.

The cases were first due to be heard in May and later in July, but are now up for mention at the end of October.
Meanwhile, nearly 70 new complaints have been made to the Gardaí against Shine subsequent to the decision by the Medical Council last year to strike the doctor off the register.
All of the patients’ medical records are being reviewed by a medical expert suggested by the Medical Council, before the investigating team decides on whether to bring a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Minister for Health is also due to discuss with Cabinet the possibility of holding a further inquiry into the allegations of abuse.
Commenting in the Dáil last week (September 16), Minister Mary Harney stated: “I have arranged to discuss the issues involved this week with my colleague the Minister for Justice and the Attorney-General before consulting with the Cabinet about any actions that could reasonably be taken in this regard.”
The Minister met with the support group Dignity 4 Patients in June — set up by those who say they were abused at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital over the past 30 years — following RTÉ’s Prime Time special on the issue.
The group has called for a full inquiry into the activities of Shine, who was found guilty by the Medical Council last year of professional misconduct.
Bernadette Sullivan, spokesperson for Dignity 4 Patients, told Irish Medical Times that she has been contacted by 155 people over the past year in relation to Shine alone, and has heard of more than 20 complaints of abuse against other doctors.
“If they held an inquiry into Shine I think it would pave the way for dealing with the whole issue of abuse in general,” said Sullivan.
The Minister for Health is due to meet again with the group by mid-October, at which time a decision on whether to hold an inquiry is likely to emerge.