Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

This question concerns the urgency with which we need to find out what is happening with the national maternity hospital in terms of the ethos being applied to it. Is the plan to have the building go ahead as soon as possible on track and, if not, what is the reason for that? According to newspaper reports, there is some kind of cold war under way between the Department and the boards of the national maternity hospital and St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. Does the Minister believe that the step to ensure the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group is set up as a charitable status must be taken? If this step has not been taken, when will it be taken? Is the Minister fully satisfied that the hospital will be protected from being dominated by a Catholic ethos in a newly secular Ireland?

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