Mr. Paul Reid:

To summarise, the board of the HSE gave this process very detailed consideration, debate and discussion through the audit and risk committee initially and ultimately at the board where executives including me were in attendance for the whole dialogue. The board set out a range of matters it wanted reflected in the legal documents to strengthen and future-proof the national maternity hospital. Something that is reflected in the legal documents is the issue with regard to legally permissible and clinically appropriate services. The intention and driver of all of this from the HSE, and the board in particular, was to future-proof the maternity services on the campus. These maternity, gynaecological, obstetric and neonatal services will be on site with other services. We want the national maternity hospital to be protected for these services so that other services such as cardiac services would not merge into it. It was about future-proofing and strengthening the case that the services set out to be delivered are those that will be delivered.