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

I am sharing time with Deputy Barry. I thank the Social Democrats for the motion. It is really important that we discuss this. No doubt lots more facts, figures and realities will emerge over the next period. After all, it is only less than a week ago when, to the alarm of everybody, we discovered that the Government shared the concerns of the Opposition on this issue. Much has emerged since then. I want to say to the people of Ireland, however, that anyone who shares the concerns of the majority of this House should now see their role as really pushing this issue over the next period and should join us in protest outside Leinster House this Saturday at 1 p.m. I am aware that is also Pride day. I take the opportunity to wish everybody a very positive and happy Pride day. The protest takes place at 1 p.m. outside Leinster House, however, which leaves plenty of time for people to party with their gay community afterwards.

As I said, a week is a long time in politics and we know much more now than we did a week ago. When one finds oneself on the same page as senior Ministers in Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, it feels a bit uncomfortable to say the least from my point of view. Nevertheless, we are living in extraordinary times when we see what is going on here.

To play devil's advocate, let us say we take the Religious Sisters of Charity at its word when it says it is withdrawing from healthcare and does not want to have any involvement in the ethos. Then, let us look at the detail. One week ago, we were told by the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group that this land was being gifted to the people of Ireland. Then, after a closer look at the detail, one finds that it is not being gifted to the people of Ireland but to a private charity. Nobody is denying that now, including the group itself.

One week ago, we had a 99-year lease. We now have 149-year lease without any religious ethos or influence involved. However, a search of the charities register today shows us that St. Vincent's Holdings Group still holds the charitable purposes of Mother Mary Aikenhead. How, therefore, can the Minister reconcile these two opposing positions?

I believe yesterday's statement from the St. Vincent's Holding Group was deeply flawed and disingenuous. It was not just insulting to the women of Ireland. After the likely outcome of this debate today, when the vast majority will agree to the motion, the insistence of the board on maintaining ownership of the land is deeply insulting to the democratic will of the people of this country.

The St. Vincent's Healthcare Group has said it must retain ownership of the land for clinical governance and operational reasons but why is that the case? This makes no sense at all. When required, patients are routinely transferred from one hospital to another all over this country and this has been the case for decades. This is not rocket science. The group refers in its statements to the golden share of the Minister for Health but why should we have to rely on extensive and complex legal agreements and commercial terms when it comes to an asset that the State will pay for fully with taxpayers' money. That includes the workers and investors in this country. Why should there be any ambiguity and why should the State invest in an asset of a private company?

The only answer is that the State is not fully committed to shifting away from the privatisation of healthcare and removing healthcare from the hands of religious orders. In particular in this case, we are talking about reproductive and maternity health. This is not good enough. It is not about the integrated needs of women and babies. It is not the reproductive needs of this cohort that is driving this approach. This is about the integrated investment interests of the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group and the Sisters of Charity.

Mr. Fintan O'Toole tweeted today a chart published by the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group on 14 May, which was very recently, demonstrating the hierarchy of private control of the healthcare system. Ultimately, it demonstrates that the St. Vincent's holding group will have the power to sell, mortgage and do its bidding as a commercial entity with this hospital. It is big business interests versus the interests of our health services. Public services, particularly health and education, should be removed from the grasp of the church. The slogan of separating church and State will gather momentum.

It is really important the people of Ireland get behind this. We have shown time and again with the likes of the same-sex marriage, repeal of the eighth amendment and water charges that what changes the course of history is not what happens in this House on its own but what happens on the streets, in our communities and in our workplaces. It is people power combined with the democratic will of the House that will bring forward these changes. We should not put up for another minute with any more of this nonsense that the St. Vincent's holding group can determine the future of women's health in this country.

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