Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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208. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the proposed maternity hospital to be co-located at the St. James’s Hospital site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51953/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In line with best international practice, it is Government policy, as set out in the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026 that standalone maternity hospitals should be co-located with acute adult hospitals.

Following a detailed review undertaken the Government decided that the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital would be relocated to the St James's Hospital campus.

The National Maternity Strategy reaffirms the commitment to tri-location of maternity, paediatric and acute adult hospital services on the St James's site campus by relocating the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital to the campus, following the development of the new Children’s Hospital.

As part of the Strategic Assessment stage of the project, it is the intention of the HSE to progress the Project Brief for the re-location of the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital in 2020.

It is important to recognise that all capital development proposals, including the relocation of the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital to the St. James’s site, must progress through a number of approval stages, in line with the Public Spending Code, including detailed appraisal, planning, design and procurement.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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209. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the new national maternity hospital to be co-located at the St. Vincent’s University Hospital site; if he has been contacted by the Vatican or the religious orders on matters in relation to the hospital; if so, their response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51954/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government is fully committed to the development of the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) on the campus of St Vincent’s University Hospital at Elm Park. As such, this project is encompassed within Project Ireland 2040, as well as the HSE Capital Plan 2019-2021.

My Department continues to engage with the NMH and St Vincent's Healthcare Group (SVHG) to develop a legal framework to protect the State’s significant investment in the new hospital. SVHG has agreed to provide the State with a 99-year lease of the land upon which the new maternity hospital will be built, and this will allow the State to retain ownership of the new facility. The State will, in turn, provide an Operating Licence to the NMH DAC and SVHG to enable the provision of health services in the newly constructed building.

Construction work commenced on site earlier this year on the new pharmacy and the car park extension and these works will be completed in 2020. However, the tender documents for the construction of the new maternity hospital will not issue until such time as the legal framework is agreed.

The governance arrangements for the new NMH will be based on the provisions of the Mulvey Agreement. That Agreement provides for the establishment of a new company - National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park DAC- which will have clinical and operational, as well as financial and budgetary independence in the provision of maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services. The Agreement ensures that a full range of health services will be available at the new hospital without religious, ethnic or other distinction.

While my Department has not had any engagement with the Religious Sisters of Charity or the Vatican, at a recent meeting the Chair of SVHG provided an update to my Department in relation to the transfer, by the Religious Sisters of Charity, of their shareholding in SVHG. I am advised that the Sisters have requested the Vatican to approve their decision to transfer their shareholding and they are confident that such approval will be forthcoming.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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210. To ask the Minister for Health if a compulsory purchase order of the lands at St. Vincent’s University Hospital has been considered in view of possible opposition to the new national maternity hospital by the Vatican; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51955/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government is fully committed to the development of a new maternity hospital on the St Vincent’s University Hospital campus at Elm Park. The buildings at Holles St. are no longer fit for purpose and therefore the new National Maternity Hospital must be moved forward to provide the necessary infrastructure to enable the delivery of a modern, safe, quality maternity service for women and infants.

I am satisfied that agreement can be reached in relation to progressing the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to the St Vincent's campus without the need for a compulsory purchase order.

Engagement is ongoing between my Department, the HSE, St Vincent's University Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital in relation to the legal framework which will be put in place to protect the State's investment in the new hospital.

Tender documents for the new maternity hospital will not issue until such time as the legal framework is agreed.