Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

It did not arise under structured dialogue with the Church of Ireland but I have had separate meetings with the representatives of the church on this matter on a number of occasions. The National Children's Hospital comprises only one aspect of the matter, which has featured for a number of years, as the Deputy knows. The Government's position is that the Church of Ireland and its ethos have always been regarded as special and have been protected by the State. This includes the Adelaide.

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