Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 March 2021
952. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health the future planned ownership, governance and control of the new national maternity hospital; the roles religious orders will play; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13411/21]
View answerFirstly, I should explain that the corporate and clinical governance arrangements for the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH).are set out in the Mulvey Agreement, which was finalised following an extensive mediation process between the NMH and the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG). The Mulvey 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.
My Department and the HSE have had very significant engagement with NMH and SVHG to agree a legal framework, the overall objective of which is to ensure that the new hospital will remain in State ownership, and that health services at the hospital will be provided without religious, ethnic or other distinction or ethos. While the development of the legal framework has proved to be more protracted than originally anticipated, I am hopeful that discussions will be concluded, and the drafting of the legal documents finalised, in the coming weeks. Once finalised, I will bring the legal framework to Government for approval.
The Deputy can be assured that the Religious Sisters of Charity will not play any role in the governance or operation of the new NMH. In that regard, in May 2017, the Sisters announced their decision to end their involvement and relinquish their shareholding in SVHG. Since then, the Sisters have resigned from the SVHG Board and have secured the approval of the Vatican to the proposed transfer of their shareholding to a new company, St Vincent’s Holdings CLG . It is understood that SVHG has completed all regulatory and legal documentation to facilitate the share transfer. However, under the terms of their Service Level Agreement, SVHG requires the consent of the HSE to the share transfer. I understand that the HSE and SVHG are currently engaging in relation to this matter.
