Three copies of a typed letter to the Taoiseach, Mr. Costello, from + James Staunton, Bishop of Ferns, Secretary to the Hierarchy, regarding the Mother and Child health service. They recognize that the proposals are motivated by the sincere desire to improve public health, but the Hierarchy must consider whether the proposals are in accordance with Catholic moral teaching. The following points were mentioned: the powers taken by the State are in direct opposition to the rights of the family; the right to provide for the health of children belongs to parents, not the State; it is not sound policy to impose a state medical service on the whole community; the right to provide for the physical education of children belongs to the family; gynecological care may be interpreted to include provision for birth limitation and abortion; the proposed service destroys the confidential relation between the doctor and patient.

Handwritten letter to +McQuaid from + Staunton, Ferns. He was unable to find any guarantee, as promised in the White Paper, that patients may select their own doctor and hospital. Without such a guarantee there would be complete socialization of medicine.

Typed letter to +McQuaid from + Staunton. His points include: the inclusion in the Health Bill of the freedom of choice of Doctor for maternity cases for cases other than maternity urges the formal inclusion of freedom of choice in the Bill as a moral issue