Thousands of previously unknown hospital files relating to patients who underwent “barbaric” symphysiotomies have been uncovered in private “off-site” locations across the country.

Over 360 applications have been made to the Government’s symphysiotomy redress scheme, despite it being sharply criticised by national and international human rights bodies.

The Walsh report on symphysiotomy ignores the experiences of women subject to the practice and the disastrous effects they still live with, writes Marie O’Connor

THE support group for victims of Michael Neary has been overwhelmed with calls after the broadcast of the first part of a dramatisation of the scandal created by his work.

THE night Tania McCabe and one of her newborn twins died was one that staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda must wish they could forget.

COPERNICUS was a wise man, but he couldn’t hold a candle to Maureen Harding Clark.

Chat show host Pat Kenny was tonight facing a multi-million euro bill after settling a costly land row with his elderly neighbour.

Chat show host Pat Kenny has resolved a bitter ownership battle with his elderly neighbour over a disputed patch of scrubland, Dublin’s High Court heard today.

Victims of disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary will meet Minister for Health Mary Harney today to discuss a multi-million euro compensation scheme.

A DOCTOR found guilty of professional misconduct will continue in his role as president of a world- renowned medical society.

A MAJOR report outlining a blueprint for reform of maternity services warns that the number of consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists must double by 2016 to improve patient safety.

THE Medical Council’s decision to put on its website transcripts of the investigation into three disgraced doctors who had exhonorated the appalling practice of Drogheda obstetrician Dr Michael Neary deserves to be applauded.

WOMEN who had their wombs removed unnecessarily at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda over a 30-year period, will next month begin the process of receiving compensation.

THE President of the High Court Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan was last night nominated by the Government as a member of the Supreme Court.

A NATIONAL strategy to ensure doctors are fit to practice medicine has been published by the Medical Council in advance of new legislation that will make competence assurance mandatory.

A patients’ support group has welcomed news of a fresh garda investigation connected to the number of hysterectomies carried out at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

REGULATION of doctors is “archaic, dysfunctional and legally confrontational”, the president of the Medical Council said yesterday.

THREE doctors named in the Neary report are to have their work practices reviewed by the Medical Council’s Fitness to Practice Committee.

LEGISLATION to set up a repayment system to refund illegally deducted nursing home charges is to be published next week - seven months after it was first promised.

The senior judge who revealed the shocking litany of malpractice by disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary will advise the Government on compensation for the dozens of women brutalised by him, it emerged today.

THE president of the Medical Council last night said doctors should be legally obliged to notify the council about incompetent or “aberrant” practices by colleagues.

THE State faces a €40 million payout for the malpractice of disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary after committing to a redress scheme for his victims.

FOR the first time in their never-ending nightmare, the victims of rogue doctor Michael Neary can finally see a glimmer of light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel.

The report into disgraced obstetrician Michael Neary will aid legislation to outlaw similar behaviour in hospitals, the Taoiseach has stated.

HARD questions must be asked - and answered - in the aftermath of the scathing report on the misguided butchery of women under the guise of responsible medicine at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

THE cautionary tale of what happened at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, where an inordinately high number of women had their wombs removed, was, we are told, “set in a time of unquestioning submission to authority, whether religious or civil, when nurses and doctors were in abundant supply and permanent jobs were few and treasured.”

PRESSURE has increased on the Government to compensate victims of Dr Michael Neary.

NEARLY a quarter of all childbirth-related hysterectomy records could not be found by the Neary inquiry team and investigators believe these particular records were stolen deliberately.

CALLS for criminal prosecutions and a system of redress for victims were chief among the demands of opposition parties yesterday as the Government published the Lourdes hospital inquiry report.

NOT evil, not incompetent, but deeply flawed and working in an environment where faults went uninvestigated and uncorrected.

A damning report into the practices of disgraced doctor Michael Neary tonight described the number of hysterectomies performed at a Co Louth hospital as truly shocking.

Management at Drogheda’s Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital today profoundly apologised to the victims of disgraced doctor Michael Neary.

Victims of a discredited doctor who needlessly removed scores of women’s wombs have called on the Government to set up a compensation scheme.

The inquiry set up to investigate the number of unnecessary womb removals carried out by Dr Michael Neary has reportedly criticised the failure of the authorities to notice what was going on.

AN inquiry into a Drogheda maternity unit where an inordinately high number of women had their wombs removed is expected to reveal nurses were afraid to raise their concerns with senior medical staff.

THE long-awaited report into why Dr Michael Neary unnecessarily removed the wombs of approximately 60 women without their consent or knowledge has still not been presented to Health Minister Mary Harney nine months after the supposed deadline.

An Irish lawyer has been appointed to serve on the new International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.

Judge Maureen Harding Clark has been nominated by Ireland as it's candidate for election to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.