John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 304: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the imposition of religious ethos by hospital authorities on taxpayers who may be of a different religion or of no religion; the steps she will take to avoid hospitals' religious ethos preventing optimal treatment for patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29147/05]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 305: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on the constitutional review group's judgment that hospitals should not be debarred from public funding provided they do not discriminate on grounds of religious practice or belief, save where this can be shown in any given case to be necessary in order to maintain hospitals' own religious ethos; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29148/05]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Question 306: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she still maintains that she would not wish to interfere in the ethos of any institution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29149/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 304 and 306, inclusive together.

I am aware of the constitution review group's view that institutions which retain a religious ethos should not be debarred from public funding, provided that they do not discriminate on grounds of religious practice or belief, save where this can be shown in any given case to be necessary in order to maintain their own religious ethos. Such instances would, I hope, be extremely rare.