Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Tá sé breis agus 70 bliain ó a forógraíodh an tír seo ina Phoblacht. Roimh an bhforógra sin, agus faraor, tar éis an fhorógra sin, níor cuireadh mórán béime ar ghuthanna na mban nó ar chearta na mban. Faraor, sa 21ú aois, táimid fós ag brath ar chomhlacht príobháideach agus ar charthanacht chun seirbhísí bunúsacha ó thaobh máithreacha agus leanaí a chur ar fáil dúinn. Nílimid chun glacadh leis sin. Sin an teachtaireacht láidir uaimse, ó na Daonlathaigh Sóisialta agus ó fhormhór na Dála. Nílimid chun glacadh leis sin níos mó.

We are here almost 70 years after we declared ourselves a Republic and we certainly have a long way to go before we make that a reality. Approximately the same period of time has elapsed since the mother and baby home debacle, already referred to by Deputy Cairns. Here we are in the 21st century and the Minister is telling us that he will rely on assurances from a private company - a charity - that it will provide all of the services that we need and that are guaranteed by law. I do not want the Minister's assurances. What I want is a national maternity hospital on public land fully owned and operated by the State for the people of Ireland.

I thank the Social Democrats for bringing this motion and for allowing their Private Members' time to be used in this manner. This is the second motion within three weeks where we put the spotlight on national maternity services.

The Minister talks about a revolution in maternity care that is needed. That was supposed to have been done with the national maternity strategy that has not been implemented.

If we look at the topic under discussion today, May 2013 jumps out for some reason. In May 2013, the then Minister, James Reilly, announced co-location. That was following a report from an accountancy firm in 2008 which stated co-location was the way forward. In May 2016, we had mediation through Mulvey. We had a ridiculous outcome of that where the Government would be satisfied with a golden share. In 2017, there was outrage, and rightly so, from the people of Ireland and the Religious Sisters of Charity told us they were withdrawing. Why the Minister would be needing to meet them, as my colleague has said, is beyond me because they have withdrawn out it. Fair play to them. They said they withdrew out of it. In May 2020, they tell us they gave the site as a gift to the people of Ireland. That now is also not accurate. We know it is going to a specially set-up company.

In between, of course, we have had so many things. We must remember that St. Vincent's rejected the co-location. They were totally against it in 2014 and, obviously, proceeded in that manner with the collusion of different Governments which sought to facilitate that situation where there would not really be co-ownership but a taking over of the hospital.

In between, thanks to Dr. Peter Boylan, thanks to ourselves and thanks to the Social Democrats, different facts have emerged. I thank Dr. Peter Boylan for his effort.

It cannot have been easy for him. It is not easy for him and still he has persisted. He asked a specific question on the legal arrangements and he was told they were complex.

I will finish on time as I am always giving out to others for not doing so. I have no hesitation in supporting the motion. I want to see action from the Government. I want no more patronising comments or promises.

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