Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to pick up on the chair's point. He mentioned that significant risk to patient care was being given as the reason. I am not clear why that would not be the case with a HSE or other hospital that had a co-operation agreement. We were told it was about the distance, but a publicly owned hospital built on that site would be a situation. We heard it was about doctors co-operating, but we heard they already co-operate between the National Maternity Hospital and St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. We heard that it was about not wanting two systems of governance. Are we saying that there are not two systems of governance and that St. Vincent's Healthcare Group's is the only system of governance? I am not clear about the reason. Is it that the price of co-operation is St. Vincent's Healthcare Group? I do not see why it cannot co-operate with a public or separate voluntary hospital. Is it that St. Vincent's Healthcare Group does not want to? Is it a price of co-operation that it would be involved in the governance of this new entity?