Council refuses to say if psychiatrist case discussed

THE Medical Council held a full-day meeting yesterday but refused to say afterwards if it had discussed the case of a Dublin psychiatrist, Dr Ivor Browne. A spokeswoman said a statement was being prepared which would be issued at a later date.

The meeting was expected to consider a report by the council's Fitness to Practise Committee on an alleged breach of confidentiality by Dr Browne, who is a former chief psychiatrist with the Eastern Health Board and former professor of psychiatry at University College Dublin.

The matter arose from revelations in 1995 about the relationship between the late Father Michael Cleary and his housekeeper, Ms Phyllis Hamilton, both of whom were known to Dr Browne.

Speaking in an interview with RTE last year, Dr Browne said it had been "out in the open" between them that Ms Hamilton had had a child by Father Cleary. He later said Ms Hamilton had asked him to speak out on the matter and he stressed that she, and not Father Cleary, had been his patient.