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National Maternity Hospital

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020

Tuesday, 23 June 2020

Questions (430, 431, 432, 433)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

430. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if the State will own and control the national maternity hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11896/20]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

431. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the reason a religious order (details supplied) transferred land at a location for the national maternity hospital to a registered charity and not directly to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11897/20]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

432. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health if he has received information regarding the structures of a registered charity (details supplied) and the role shareholders will play in the day-to-day operations of the hospitals including the future new national maternity hospital under same. [11898/20]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

433. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health his views on whether the State should own and run the new national maternity hospital; and if so, the reason he has not pursued that option and has instead accepted the ownership and control of the lands on which the hospital will be built by a registered charity (details supplied). [11899/20]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 430 to 433, inclusive, together.

A legal framework is being developed to protect the State's investment in the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) and to ensure that the hospital remains in State ownership; it is envisaged that the State will provide an Operating Licence to the NMH at Elm Park DAC and the St Vincent's Healthcare Group (SVHG) to facilitate the provision of health services in the new building. In that regard, the NMH will provide maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services in the new hospital, whilst the new building will also provide replacement facilities for SVHG e.g a dermatology unit, ward accommodation etc. Some facilities will be shared by the NMH and SVHG including a new staff canteen, a catering kitchen, hospital sterile services department, laboratories etc. The Deputy may wish to note that the legal framework, when finalised, will be brought to Government for approval.

The NMH has a long and proud tradition delivering maternity care to Irish women and I have no reason to see that discontinued, as long as the conditions set out in the proposed legal framework are met. Indeed, I believe that Ireland benefits from having a voluntary sector and that sector should continue to play an integral role in the delivery of health and social care services.

I should clarify that the particular option to develop the new NMH at Elm Park was finalised following an extensive mediation process between the two hospitals, which considered many different options and culminated in the Mulvey Agreement. That agreement represents an accommodation of the views of the two voluntary hospitals together with consideration of key policy objectives, including clinical independence, no religious influences to be brought to bear on the new hospital and assurance that the State's investment will be protected. These overriding objectives will be copperfastened through the legal framework.

As the Deputy will be aware, Mulvey Agreement also sets out the basis for the governance arrangements for the new NMH and 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. I am advised that all of these specific protections will be built into and addressed in the legal framework.

In line with the Mulvey Agreement, the Board of the NMH at Elm Park DAC will comprise 9 directors; 4 nominated by SVHG, 4 by NMH, and 1 will be an international expert in obstetrics and gynaecology. Given the level of State investment, I have sought, and received, the agreement of both the NMH and SVHG that the Board of the new NMH DAC will be competency-based and will include a Public Interest representative.

The Religious Sisters of Charity will transfer their shareholding in SVHG to a new company, St Vincent’s Holdings CLG. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Sisters made the decision to transfer their shareholding, and I am not in a position to provide any information as to what informed that decision, or what alternatives were considered. However, I have welcomed the announcement that the Vatican has approved the share transfer, as it removes any remaining concerns that religious influence might be brought to bear on the new hospital.

Finally, the Deputy may wish to note that information in relation to St Vincent’s Holdings CLG is available on the SVHG website and can be accessed through the following address:

https://www.stvincents.ie/app/uploads/2020/05/ST.VINCENTS-HOLDINGS-CLG-Information-Sheet-14.05.2020

Question No. 434 answered with Question No. 392.
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