Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber and I also welcome her statement on the new national maternity hospital. This week an article entitled "National Maternity Hospital doctors fear ‘misinformation’ could delay move", was published by The Irish Times. “Misinformation” is the keyword in this debate, as far as I am concerned. The national media, the Taoiseach and some of the public seem to be of the belief that should we proceed with the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to Elm Park on the site of St. Vincent’s Hospital, that this will in some way affect the services available to patients. The reality, of course, is that all the services now legal in this country will be provided in the new hospital.

We have the assertion in that regard of 42 senior clinicians in the National Maternity Hospital. They have issued a letter to persuade us of that point. In their words, "We, the consultants of the National Maternity Hospital, are concerned by the potential for misinformation". They go on to state that the project is a vital one "to create a world-class maternity hospital for the women and babies of Ireland”. Yes, it is a vital project, and we need a world-class maternity hospital. The proposed facility will be that in many ways. However, it is a tragedy that we must go hand-in-hand with services to deny unborn children their lives in circumstances where their lives could and should be saved. We know what the law is, though, and we know what the political and medical establishments are insisting on.

Why then the delay, despite the cast-iron guarantee in the proposed operating licence that all the services will be provided? Past instances of State decisions influenced by the Catholic Church have nothing to do with this new situation. The Catholic Church is entitled to be involved in healthcare, and it has a great record in providing excellent and ethical care, but it has clearly stepped back from involvement in the new national maternity hospital. Enough is enough, therefore, when it comes to beating down the Catholic Church in this country. Abortion, sterilisation and assisted reproductive services were unthinkable in the old Ireland. Now, these services are provided here. Regardless of whether the Religious Sisters of Charity retain ownership of the land at Elm Park, the new national maternity hospital is going to facilitate all services it is legally permitted to do in law. Furthermore, the religious order has said that it has nothing to do with the hospital. The order has not tried to undermine this and has not expressed any desire to interfere, nor will they.

Some will wish that the order had sought to retain a Catholic ethos at its hospitals, even if that meant that the new national maternity hospital was sited elsewhere. Would that have been such a problem? Do all the hospitals in this State need to remove their religious ethos? I reiterate that the Catholic Church is a pillar of compassion and understanding in this country and shame on us if we cannot show it the same respect and understanding. It would have been entitled to say "No" to the leasing of the land and to the new national maternity hospital. It could have, but did not. Therefore, anti-Catholic Church people in politics and in the medical establishment are having their cake and eating it. They have got the nuns out of the governance of the hospital, which Christian people have helped to pay to establish, and they are still engaged in the anti-Catholic Church invective and fearmongering. They are having it both ways.

The Taoiseach is said to retain concerns around governance and possible religious influence in the facility, but why? It is because political commentators have told him to be wary. Political commentators have weighed in on the matter and because they have, that is why this is happening. It is because political commentators have decided to make the new national maternity hospital their new point of issue with the Catholic Church. If this matter concerned any other religious denomination outside of Catholicism, would we be standing here today giving statements? Would political commentators have been involved? Would we waste our time like we are here? It is unfair to the Catholic Church and to the mothers and babies of this country to continue to talk like this. There is no reason for the Taoiseach to retain concerns, there is no reason for him to be wary, and there must be an end to this misinformation campaign, the cost of which will fall on taxpayers. We need a new national maternity hospital and I am as eager as the senior clinicians to ensure this happens quickly and without unnecessary delay concerning further debate on whether the religious orders retain ownership of the land. I, and many others would prefer harmful and-----