Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to return to the national maternity hospital. I also want to ask that it goes down on the agenda for a debate. This is too important to be left to secret deals behind closed doors. It is too important to us as women. It is too important symbolically and in reality that we have a public maternity hospital on a public site, owned by the State. When my colleague, Deputy Joan Collins, raised it, as did all the other Deputies on this side of the House, the Taoiseach said he was open to putting it on the agenda but it has not happened. It seems when somebody is open to put it on the agenda, that means it does not go on the agenda. I am asking again for the record. I fully support Deputy Shortall and all the other Deputies who have asked. This is too big an issue to be left to men to do a deal in secret behind closed doors.

See this speech in context