Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
BREAKING: Mayo Councillors Fail to Question Hospital on Staff Gagging
Catherine Donohoe (General Manager at Mayo University Hospital) sent a letter to all staff at the beginning of the first lockdown, on 16 March 2020, threatening disciplinary action if any of them spoke about “hospital business” outside of the hospital.
News of the letter broke on RTE Drivetime on 20 May 2020 and was subsequently read out on Midwest Radio causing alarm across the nation. We can now reveal, however, that the gagging of hospital staff has never been raised by Mayo County Councillors with hospital management at the HSE Regional Health Forum.
Four Mayo councillors sit on the Forum: Michael Kilcoyne (IND), Blackie Gavin (FF), Martin McLoughlin (FF) and John O’Hara (FG).
Just six weeks after the letter was issued in March last year, Sally Maaz (17) was admitted (wrongfully) to a Covid Ward in the hospital - where she died in tragic circumstances.
The letter, read out on Midwest Radio on 24 May by Westport Cllr. Christy Hyland, included the following statements:
“Lots of people in the public may be asking you as hospital worker about business that is, and only is, the business of the hospital, I am stressing your response should be that you are not permitted to discuss any hospital business outside of the hospital.
We should not be discussing any issues relating to patient or patient groups as this is a breach in contract. It is not acceptable to have any issues relating to the hospital to be discussed by text or any other form of social media, this includes family members.
As a healthcare employee, we are all bound by this, and we should not accept anyone letting us down. I will be following up on any situations where I am aware this has happened.”
Cllr. Christy Hyland informed Martina Burke in July last year that he had received the letter in confidence from two hospital staff members. He said he had passed it on to Cllr. Michael Kilcoyne who sits on the HSE Regional Health Forum.
However published minutes from the Regional Health Forum meetings show that no questions in relation to the letter or the gagging of hospital staff have ever been raised by any of the four Mayo councillors.
Over the past two months we have been moralising about the scandal of the Mother & Baby Homes where 9000 infants went to their deaths in 18 institutions across the country. There was a conspiracy of silence between the Church, the State, Government bodies, the County Councils – and indeed the Councillors. They knew what was happening, but they chose to keep silence, with fatal consequences that blacken our history.
Over 1200 staff are effectively under a vow of silence at Mayo University Hospital where many have died alone, isolated from family, friends and loved ones, since March 2020.
Every patient who enters the doors of Mayo University Hospital is a vulnerable person. They are being treated by staff who have in effect taken a vow of silence on anything that happens inside the building. It is of grave concern that our own local councillors are silent on an issue of such serious proportions.
Those who should be speaking out – and asking questions – are silent. We owe it to our loved ones to speak out when those who are paid to do so fail to fulfil their duty.
Why are the councillors who we pay to hold the HSE to account keeping silence on this matter? It is shameful and unacceptable.
BREAKING: Mayo Councillors Fail to Question Hospital on Staff Gagging
Catherine Donohoe (General Manager at Mayo University Hospital) sent a letter to all staff at the beginning of the first lockdown, on 16 March 2020, threatening disciplinary action if any of them spoke about “hospital business” outside of the hospital.
News of the letter broke on RTE Drivetime on 20 May 2020 and was subsequently read out on Midwest Radio causing alarm across the nation. We can now reveal, however, that the gagging of hospital staff has never been raised by Mayo County Councillors with hospital management at the HSE Regional Health Forum.
Four Mayo councillors sit on the Forum: Michael Kilcoyne (IND), Blackie Gavin (FF), Martin McLoughlin (FF) and John O’Hara (FG).
Just six weeks after the letter was issued in March last year, Sally Maaz (17) was admitted (wrongfully) to a Covid Ward in the hospital - where she died in tragic circumstances.
The letter, read out on Midwest Radio on 24 May by Westport Cllr. Christy Hyland, included the following statements:
“Lots of people in the public may be asking you as hospital worker about business that is, and only is, the business of the hospital, I am stressing your response should be that you are not permitted to discuss any hospital business outside of the hospital.
We should not be discussing any issues relating to patient or patient groups as this is a breach in contract. It is not acceptable to have any issues relating to the hospital to be discussed by text or any other form of social media, this includes family members.
As a healthcare employee, we are all bound by this, and we should not accept anyone letting us down. I will be following up on any situations where I am aware this has happened.”
Cllr. Christy Hyland informed Martina Burke in July last year that he had received the letter in confidence from two hospital staff members. He said he had passed it on to Cllr. Michael Kilcoyne who sits on the HSE Regional Health Forum.
However published minutes from the Regional Health Forum meetings show that no questions in relation to the letter or the gagging of hospital staff have ever been raised by any of the four Mayo councillors.
Over the past two months we have been moralising about the scandal of the Mother & Baby Homes where 9000 infants went to their deaths in 18 institutions across the country. There was a conspiracy of silence between the Church, the State, Government bodies, the County Councils – and indeed the Councillors. They knew what was happening, but they chose to keep silence, with fatal consequences that blacken our history.
Over 1200 staff are effectively under a vow of silence at Mayo University Hospital where many have died alone, isolated from family, friends and loved ones, since March 2020.
Every patient who enters the doors of Mayo University Hospital is a vulnerable person. They are being treated by staff who have in effect taken a vow of silence on anything that happens inside the building. It is of grave concern that our own local councillors are silent on an issue of such serious proportions.
Those who should be speaking out – and asking questions – are silent. We owe it to our loved ones to speak out when those who are paid to do so fail to fulfil their duty.
Why are the councillors who we pay to hold the HSE to account keeping silence on this matter? It is shameful and unacceptable.
