Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 6, line 9, after “section 5” to insert “, known as the Kathleen Lynn National Children’s Hospital”.

I appreciate, as some people have said, that this is not the appropriate place to legislate for the name of the hospital, but if we do not do it here, then I am not sure when we are going to have the opportunity to be able to move this. My colleague, Deputy Ó Snodaigh, has been pursuing the building of the hospital for a long number of years, and the naming of the hospital after Kathleen Lynn.

There are many good reasons that it would be appropriate to name the hospital after Dr. Kathleen Lynn. She was a founder of St. Ultan's Children's Hospital. She was a woman who worked extensively with children and women, in particular, both in and outside Dublin. As we commemorate 100 years since some, but not all, women got the vote, it would be appropriate to remember an Irish woman such as Dr. Kathleen Lynn, who was a suffragette, a volunteer in the Irish Citizen Army and who also participated in the Rising in 1916.

I cannot think of another person who would be more appropriate. My understanding is that the initial name that was chosen is not now going to be used. We ask that consideration be given to this name. I note that historians such as Mr. Martin Mansergh and others have backed this call. It is not just a call coming from my party, but from many quarters. I have yet to hear a good argument against naming the hospital after Dr. Kathleen Lynn.