Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Back in May 2017, Sinn Féin brought forward a motion in respect of the national maternity hospital. At that time, and since, very serious questions have been raised about the ownership and governance of this new national facility. I am absolutely astounded that four years later we do not have a straight answer from Government in respect of ownership of this new national maternity hospital. I put it to the Taoiseach that it would be unthinkable that hundreds of millions of euro in public money would be invested in a hospital that was not fully owned by the State. I put it to him also that the Religious Sisters of Charity must be asked, as a matter of urgency, to transfer freehold ownership of that site lock, stock and barrel to the State with no strings attached. I further put it to the Taoiseach that any question, licence or mechanism that would open up any prospect of so-called ethos intruding on the provision of healthcare for women and neonates must be roundly rejected.

Can the Taoiseach confirm for us that we will have a full transfer of it to the State urgently?

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