Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach has just told Deputy Kelly to get real. The Taoiseach has to get real. The women of Ireland will not accept a maternity hospital that does not provide the full complement of healthcare services we need. The Taoiseach has said that he does not believe the governance is an issue. Is he aware that at the moment one cannot get IVF treatment or sterilisation procedures in St. Vincent's University Hospital? Why then does he believe that will change in the maternity hospital? There has been absolutely no indication from the Government on what safeguards it will put in place because there are no safeguards that can be put in place. The Catholic Church will not allow terminations to occur on land it owns. It is time for the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health and the Government to get real. We cannot afford to make the same mistakes again. We just cannot afford to do it and women will not allow it to happen.

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