Sir, - The review of the work of the Medical Council (The Irish Times, July 28th) was useful in bringing to public attention the council's roles and responsibilities. Unfortunately, the accompanying piece on the council's current work on the fifth Oireachtas report dealing with abortion fulfils no such role.
The council's position in this area has been consistent. It has informed the public and profession that the issue is under discussion and will result in a public statement in the coming months. In the meantime, the council has found it unhelpful and damaging for inaccurate, biased and completely unattributable information to be repeatedly published in The Irish Times as though it were fact.
The fact that the Medical Council chooses not to put the content of its current work into the public arena does not mean that highly selective and unaccountable versions of that work should be published without a clear statement as to their origins and dependability.
I look forwards to such accompanying statements in further Irish Times pieces dealing with the issue. - Yours, etc.,
Prof Gerard Bury, President, Medical Council, Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6.