Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Social Democrats and other parties have been looking for several weeks for time to be allowed for a debate on the proposals on a national maternity hospital. There is growing public concern about the fact that the Government seems to be about to sign a deal with the Religious Sisters of Charity to gift the new national maternity hospital to them. There can be no justification for this. Why on earth would we hand over a valuable asset like that to a private entity, whether religious or otherwise? We are looking for time to be made available now to have a debate on that, because we do not want any behind-the-scenes secret deals done. We want a full debate here in the House on the implications of gifting the national maternity hospital, of all hospitals, to a religious body. It is unthinkable that the Government would go ahead with this. I cannot understand why the Tánaiste is not deeply embarrassed about the very idea of doing that.

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