Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Sorry, it is. To all intents and purposes, it is 300 years at a tenner a year. What is the issue then? It will be operationally, financially and clinically independent. All of the legal documentation underpins that, that is, a variety of legal documents from the constitution of the hospital right across to the operating licence the HSE will be providing to the hospital, obliging it to provide all of the services legally permissible in the State.

By the way, within those legal guarantees, there is a clear obligation that no religious ethos will have any hand, act or part in the operation of the hospital and the delivery of services, and likewise in terms of ethnic or other distinctions. It is as clear as it could be.

There is an onus and an obligation also to weigh this up in the balance because, as I said, this latest phase began in 2013. The current Government had the Mulvey agreement, which the previous Government agreed with, as did many Members in the House did also, which also provided guarantees.

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