Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I refer to the National Maternity Hospital and the controversy about its construction. The new hospital was announced five years ago and €150 million was put aside for its construction. Construction costs have increased to €300 million since. There is no doubt that the new hospital is urgently needed. Conditions in Holles Street Hospital are not suitable for the more than 8,000 women who give birth in it. The Minister for Health needs to come to the House today or as soon as possible to clarify the position on the construction of the National Maternity Hospital. There is so much misinformation and confusion about it that I would like him to clarify the exact position for Members. There is also a lot of public concern. There appears to be a major rush to start construction of the new hospital before the end of the year. We are told that because of the changing EU regulations for publicly funded projects such as this they must have zero emissions, although that has not been stated officially. We need clarification on that issue.

We have also learned that the Sisters of Charity have yet to hand over the land for the new hospital to the St. Vincent's Healthcare Group. It was decided that they would do this 18 months ago following a public outcry, but it has yet to be done. We are told unofficially that the papers will be lodged in the coming weeks with the Charities Regulator and the Companies Registration Office. It must be done before the Minister can sign off on the project. It would be irresponsible of him to do so without it being done. The Sisters of Charity have had 18 months in which to do so, but it has still not been done. We need clarification on the reason it has not been done. There were some reports that they needed Vatican approval before they could divest any property. I would like the Minister to make reference to the issue and clarify the point.

We have learned in the media that there seems to be a pushback against the Minister's attempts to appoint a public interest director to the board of the new hospital which we are building at a cost of €300 million. It will be completely publicly funded, as will the administration of healthcare. Therefore, we need clarification on whether there will be a public interest director on the board. In recent years public interest directors have been appointed to the boards of various banks that we funded during the economic collapse and that seemed to be unable to function because directors' legal responsibility was to the board, not anybody else. We need clarification on whether there will be a public interest director on the board of the new hospital and, if so, if he or s he will have powers to act.

It is very important that we get everything right in the construction of the National Maternity Hospital. For too long, women have been sidelined and their healthcare has been treated as a second-class issue. We need to get this right for women and the children who will be born in the new hospital in the next 100 to 200 years. It is vital that the Minister address the issue. I am well aware that he is very busy this week and has been in recent weeks in dealing with urgently needed legislation, but this issue is tangential and also urgent. As there is a great deal of public concern about it, the Minister should clarify the Government's position on it.