Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all of the witnesses who are here for their contribution and for what they do for healthcare and women's health in this country but I have to say that I find myself in agreement with a great amount of what Deputy Bríd Smith has said. It is not overt religious influence I am concerned about but covert influence. The influence of the church is rampant in education and, unfortunately, it is also rampant in healthcare. Does the Minister not think there is something ironic about the Taoiseach reading a letter from the 19 maternity providers in this country in support of this project into the record of the Dáil while eight of them are not providing termination services? I believe there is something fundamentally ironic about that. I have a simple question. The Cabinet postponed the decision for two weeks but is anything going to change with regard to this project? Have the two weeks of engagement led to even one sentence of the constitution of the hospital changing or to any change to the structure? Is all that has happened that we have paused the decision for two weeks? Will the exact same memo that went to the Government two weeks ago be passed next Tuesday? Will anything at all be different in light of the discussions we have had here this morning or the engagement the Minister has had over the last ten or 12 days?