Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have one final question which gets to the core of this. If the Minster believes all that, is reassured by what he is being told or what the sisters have written down, namely, that all services will be available and there will be no influence of any religious ethos on the delivery of services in this hospital, then why do the sisters not give up the land? There must be an answer to that question. I believe the answer to that question is corporate interest. The Catholic Church is the biggest owner of land in this country and very seldom yields it to State interests. I believe that is the reason. Why does the Minister think the church will not relinquish the land to the State?