Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We have had incarceration, mass graves, forced family separation, physical, psychological and sexual abuse. The history of partnerships between church and State concerning maternity and women's healthcare represents some of the darkest parts of our past. It is a tragically recurring pattern when men in positions of power collaborate to make decisions about women's bodies. This oppressive regime was often subtle and invisible. It was enforced by social norms wrapped up in caring language and it was found in the limitation of medical procedures. Most importantly, concerns, questions and objections were disregarded, denied and shouted down.

While this Dáil still debates legislation relating to the legacies of that cruel and twisted system, today it is abundantly clear that the Government has learned nothing from our history. That gifting our national maternity hospital to St. Vincent's, set up by the Religious Sisters of Charity, is even up for discussion disregards and compounds the suffering that many thousands of people have experienced at the hands of the church and State. In addition, genuine concerns of mothers have been dismissed as misinformation. Medical practitioners and legal experts have been disregarded. People have been labelled as conspiracy theorists for asking questions. Deputies who supported the campaign to repeal the eighth amendment to the Constitution seem to think this somehow shields them from any kind of criticism. From the outset, the Government's handling of the national maternity hospital plan has been contradictory, confusing and inconsistent.

Despite all the Government spin and claims, three fundamental questions have not been resolved. First, why is the Government gifting a €1 billion hospital to a private company? On that point alone, this deal should not be going ahead. Second, why are the Religious Sisters of Charity not giving the site over to the State as promised? We have been told that a 300-year lease is essentially transferring the land. Why are we not just doing that? What is their reason or motivation for retaining ownership? Third, what is meant by clinically appropriate? That there has been so much debate about how this could be interpreted is of itself evidence that it could be interpreted in many ways. It is unbelievable that that key term remains ambiguous. These questions have been asked repeatedly by Members of the Opposition and in particular by female leaders.

I am raising gender because it is deeply relevant. The State has an horrendous record on women's health, even up to this Government, when it was required to have a Dáil motion seeking an implementation plan for a national maternity strategy. The women of Ireland, the people who will be using this hospital, are being ignored. This is another Government that knows better than women. Patriarchy and misogyny run so deep in this society that people often cannot even see it. Women have won the right to control their bodies. It was a long and hard-won battle, opposed by politicians and religious orders. That should never be put in doubt again, but today with full knowledge of all the concerns, all the unanswered questions and all the legal and medical ambiguities, the Government decided to plough ahead because it knows best. It knows what is best for women and not women themselves.

Government Deputies and Ministers have received countless emails and messages on the issue from women and mothers, as have I. Do they stop for even one second to think they may have a point before those of them who take the time to reply tell them all the ways they are wrong?

This decision is wrong on so many levels. Like so many bad decisions, because things have gone on for too long it is being used as an excuse. The approach is not to reflect on how badly this has been handled by successive Ministers for Health, Deputies Varadkar, Harris and Stephen Donnelly, but rather to accuse those raising legitimate concerns of delaying things. That argument will not cut it this time. People see through it and most importantly the girls and women of Ireland see through it.

The solution has always been incredibly simple, a State-owned and controlled national maternity hospital built on State lands and through the use of State funds. Not only is this the proper way to conduct healthcare projects, never mind €1 billion of taxpayers' money, but it removes any possible doubt about governance and medical procedures. Most importantly it ensures that the will of the women in Ireland will be respected. Why is it so hard for the Government to accept?

When the issue inevitably arises, where will the Minister be? He cannot say he did not know. He cannot say he was not warned. The real hard truth is that the women and girls of Ireland will bear the brunt of his mistake. They again will suffer because the Government thought it knew better than they did. That will be his legacy - another government making wrong healthcare decisions for women.

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