Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The letter I have before me is from the midwives and doctors in the National Maternity Hospital. What they are saying is that they are extremely concerned about a combination of misinformation and misunderstanding. They state: "Concerns being raised that the new [national] maternity hospital will be curtailed by any religious ethos are misleading and ill-informed." They go on to say that concerns being raised about the ownership of the hospital, with the suggestion that only under full State ownership can the avoidance of religious influence be assured, are manifestly false.

I want to put that on the record because false accusations were made earlier and, no doubt, will be repeated in this debate. I have just read from a letter from the midwives and doctors to me and the Taoiseach.

This Government’s commitment to the national maternity hospital is in keeping with our broader commitment to delivering better health outcomes for the women of Ireland. As discussed in the earlier debate on the women’s health action plan, the Government is investing significant funding in women’s health services to ensure that improvements are made and outcomes for people using the services are enhanced. This commitment is reflected in budget 2022, for example in the allocation of €31 million for new development funding to specifically support women's health. Those measures have a full-year cost of nearly €50 million. This includes significant investment to further progress the implementation of the national maternity strategy and gynaecology service developments, as well as a further €5 million for a dedicated women’s health fund for this year.

I hope that the next time we are making statements on the national maternity hospital in this House, we will be able to speak about the finalisation of the legal framework, in what undoubtedly will be a significant milestone for achieving the goal of a new national maternity hospital, as envisioned in the national maternity strategy. As the House will be well aware, the national maternity strategy sets out a vision for future maternity services, where women are treated with dignity and respect in an appropriate physical environment. It is essential, therefore, that we move forward and build the new national maternity hospital and provide the necessary infrastructure to facilitate the delivery of a safe, high quality maternity service for women and infants. I am certain we will do that with all of the necessary safeguards and assurances.

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