Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Last year, when it emerged that the new national maternity hospital would be under the ownership of the Religious Sisters of Charity, there was outrage. The guidelines of this organisation state that the morning-after pill, IVF, vasectomy, sterilisation of women and abortion should be forbidden in their hospitals. There were demonstrations. Dr. Peter Boylan resigned from the board and more than 100,000 signed a petition to demand that the hospital be under exclusive public ownership. Following those protests, the Religious Sisters of Charity said they would not be involved in the ownership of the hospital. An article in The Sunday Times by Justine McCarthy, however, says that the National Maternity Hospital will be obliged to uphold the "values and vision" of the founder of the Religious Sisters of Charity, which is against the wishes of all of those who protested, who I think represent a majority of society. Will the Taoiseach or the Minister, who is not here, clarify whether that is the case? Do they agree that the church and religious orders should play no role in the operation of public hospitals? Do they agree that it points to the need for a separation of church and State?

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