Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I respect the Deputy's view but disagree with it. It is not an accurate characterisation of what is happening. St Vincent's is not appointing board members to the new NMH because it owns the land. Let us say a third party such as a developer in Dublin owned the land. That developer would not be appointing board members to the new NMH. This is a partnership and, as Dr. Mahony spoke to earlier, the reason the State, the NMH and St. Vincent's are all appointing members to the board is that this is a partnership. One proof of that is that the NMH does not own the land under St. Vincent's but it is appointing board members to St. Vincent's.