Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Recent reports have stated there is a new agreement between the HSE and the St. Vincent's Holdings group regarding the move to the national maternity hospital. The agreement states that all medical treatment allowable under the law will be provided in the hospital. However, it somehow does not even specify procedures like terminations of pregnancy, sterilisation and IVF. Those are not going to be specified in the agreement. I am surprised that the Taoiseach does not seem to have a knowledge of this €800 million investment that is going into a private entity. He does seem to be up to date with what is happening.

Not many people, myself included, believe that the Catholic Church will allow terminations or medical procedures that fundamentally go against its ethos to be performed on its land. I am not sure who the Taoiseach think he is trying to cod with this agreement. The women of Ireland will not countenance any healthcare that will be influenced by religious ethos.

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