Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

So the Government is not open to change. That is very good. We have that clarified. My concerns are in respect of the documents I have read and the absence of some extremely important documents, such as, for example, as the constitution of the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. Mr. Menton tells us that the group is evolving into a secular organisation. Evolution is slow and I would like to know where we are in the evolutionary process of the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. Where is it as a secular organisation?

The Minister mentioned complexity. There is no complexity here. This is the 21st century. On the basis of what has happened in our history, which I do not have time to go into, we have to have a national maternity hospital on a public site.

On the documents that are missing - in addition to the constitution I have mentioned - I would like to know on what basis the Religious Sisters of Charity was finally happy to give over its share. How did the Vatican allow the order to do that and still comply with its ethics and so on? It is difficult to get that information. This matter needs to be the subject of proper debate here in the Dáil.

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