Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ardóidh mé inniu an úinéireacht atá beartaithe don ospidéal náisiúnta máithreachais agus atá molta ag an Rialtas agus ag an Aire Sláinte. In ainneoin na himní tromchúisí atá curtha in iúl ag go leor ban agus go leor dochtúirí faoi athlonnú an ospidéil go dtí suíomh Ospidéal Naomh Uinseann i mBaile Átha Cliath, tá an Rialtas ag leanúint go dícheallach leis an rogha léas a bheith aige ar an talamh ar a dtógfar an t-ospidéal in áit a bheith ina úinéir di. Ní dhéanann sé ciall ar chor ar bith go mbeidh píosa iontach tábhachtach dár mbonneagar sláinte a thógáil ar chostas thar €1 billiún ar talamh nach mbeidh úinéireacht ag an Stát uirthi.

I wish to raise the proposed ownership model of the national maternity hospital being pursued by the Government and the Minister for Health. Despite serious concerns being voiced by many women and many prominent medics about the relocation of the hospital to the site at St. Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, the Government is relentlessly pursuing the option of leasing the land on which the hospital will be built instead of owning it outright. It is very concerning that the deputy chairperson of the HSE board, Professor Deirdre Madden, a leading medical law scholar, and Dr. Sarah McLoughlin, a patient advocate on the board, both dissented from the board's decision to recommend the legal framework.

Everyone in this House agrees that a new national maternity hospital needs to be built and become operational as soon as possible but expedience cannot be at the cost of rights in any way. The full range of legally permissible services must be available in the hospital to any qualifying patient. The minutes of the HSE board meeting of 14 March show that Professor Madden and Dr. McLoughlin expressed concerns at the "legal ownership of the site and building, and the governance and control of the proposed new maternity hospital" and felt that these concerns were not adequately addressed in the revised legal framework.

It does not make any sense that the Government is going to build a vital piece of health infrastructure at a likely cost of approximately €1 billion on land the State does not own. The Taoiseach said yesterday that the lease would only cost €10 per year but that does not change the fact that the new hospital will have a private landlord. The question must be asked once again, because no answers were forthcoming on this issue yesterday from the Taoiseach, as to why the Sisters of Charity and St. Vincent's University Hospital cannot simply gift the land to the State. It is a simple question. What is the answer? Why is the Government accepting this convoluted, messy ownership model that is stoking unease and worry? What we need is a publicly built maternity hospital on publicly owned land delivering public healthcare services for women at a standard of excellence. Sin é. That is what is required. This would protect the State's investment and address the concerns of so many who fear that religious dogma could compromise the delivery of healthcare at the hospital.

We understand from media reports that, among others, the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media raised concerns about this model at Cabinet. It is incumbent on the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to give a full answer as to why the Government continues to pursue a model of ownership that does not enjoy the confidence it should. Will he outline his position? Is he satisfied with this model of ownership despite the fact that the land will not be owned by the State?

See this speech in context