Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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239. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the proposal to develop the new national maternity hospital on the grounds of St. Vincent's University Hospital; the way in which it is planned to ensure that this asset is retained in full public ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47430/18]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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240. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether in order to be capable of providing the full range of women’s healthcare services there cannot be an involvement of a religious body in the ownership of the building or the site on which the proposed new national maternity hospital is to be located [47431/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 239 and 240 together.

The Deputy will be aware that I am fully committed the development of the new maternity hospital on the St Vincent's campus and to ensuring that care in the new hospital will be delivered without religious, ethnic or other distinction. The Deputy can therefore be assured that the full range of women’s healthcare services will be carried out at the new hospital.

Considerable work has been undertaken to develop a legal framework to protect the State's significant investment in the new hospital and to ensure that the new hospital building will remain in State ownership. My Department is engaging with the hospitals with a view to agreeing and finalising the details of the legal framework.