Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The decisions that have been taken are extremely important in terms of the separation of the influence of any religious body on our health services. Everybody here will welcome the decision announced this week by the Sisters of Charity to end their involvement with the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. It is a very significant development for the whole health care sector. It deals with the concerns raised regarding the question of religious influence in the new national maternity hospital. The sisters will relinquish their shareholding, and ownership will be transferred to a new company with charitable status, to be called St. Vincent's Hospital. The sisters have confirmed that they will not have any involvement in the new company or in the operation of the new maternity hospital. It is very important that this has been completely clarified. There is to be no influence within the hospital or the new body with charitable status. That is very important.

As the Deputy knows, there has been very extensive engagement on this issue under Mr. Kieran Mulvey and with the Minister.

The Minister continues to look at a number of issues and will be reverting. He should be given the remaining time to continue that work. The Deputy makes a broader point about the ownership of hospitals in this country. We do have a long history of a combination of having public hospitals as well as voluntary hospitals. We have at least 17 voluntary hospitals in this country and it is a well-established way of delivering services.

See this speech in context