Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It is over seven years since the move of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, to St. Vincent's was first announced. While we know that the care in Holles Street is excellent, the building is antiquated and the conditions are unacceptable for patients and staff. Progress on the new hospital has been painfully slow, though. It is over two years since a row broke out between Holles Street and St. Vincent's about governance structures and the Minister for Health appointed Mr. Kieran Mulvey to hammer out an agreement between them. In the meantime, the public was alerted to the fact that a secret deal had been brokered between the two hospitals without any reference whatsoever to the public interest. It amounted to the gifting of an asset with an estimated value of approximately €350 million to private religious interests and the new hospital's ethos being dictated by those interests.

Is it not the case that the Minister for Health misjudged the situation as being only a tiff between two hospitals? Did he not misjudge the extent of public concern that the new maternity hospital must be fully publicly owned and operated and operate with a non-denominational ethos? The Minister was forced to halt the deal and respond to public concern. The Religious Sisters of Charity subsequently announced their intention to withdraw from St. Vincent's and divest themselves of Elm Park. They gave undertakings that the new maternity hospital would be fully public and independent. Despite assurances from St. Vincent's, the Religious Sisters of Charity and the Minister, however, that has not happened yet.

Last December, the Minister for Health announced that agreement had been reached with St. Vincent's and the new maternity hospital would be fully publicly owned. He also said that the legal documents giving effect to this would be available early in the new year, but they have not materialised as yet. The Government, however, proceeded to allocate €43 million of public money to phase one of the hospital. Does the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, accept that the Government was reckless in doing that before it had title to the site concerned? Will she give an undertaking that no further public money will be allocated to the project and, therefore, put at risk of being lost to the public purse?

See this speech in context