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

I do not believe people are accusing the Minister of not delivering the goods. What I think is going on is that nobody knows what is happening. That is the reason I am asking the Minister straight questions. Why has the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group not yet registered as a charitable organisation? We have been talking about this for 18 months or more and it still has not been done. People suspect that some kind of meddling is going on and that there is, at the heart of this, a cold war between the Minister and the two organisations concerned. If that is not the case, I want the Minister to use this opportunity to explain to us what is happening with the negotiations. When can we expect this group to register as a charitable organisation? I remind everybody that almost €400 million of public money will be spent on this project. Apart from the financial aspect, this is a step forward not just regarding women's reproductive health but in how we see ourselves as a society. We have moved on and become secular. We are a different kind of country and it is important for everyone that we leave behind the advocates of Mother Mary Aikenhead.

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