The National Maternity Hospital (NMH) project is inherently complex as we are relocating one voluntary hospital to the campus of another voluntary hospital, and into a hospital building owned by the State. As such, a legal framework is being developed to protect the State's investment in the new NMH and to ensure that the hospital remains in State ownership. This legal framework will also provide assurances that the new hospital will be operated without religious or other distinction.
I can confirm that the State will be a party to the legal framework. The new maternity hospital will be built on a site leased by the State from the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG) for a period of 99 years. The HSE will provide an Operating Licence to the NMH DAC and the SVHG to facilitate the provision of health services in the new building.
While the development of the legal framework has proved to be more protracted than originally anticipated, there has been good, ongoing engagement between my officials and the key stakeholders involved, namely the HSE, the NMH, and SVHG, and significant progress has been made. I have previously indicated that once finalised, the legal framework would be brought to Government for approval and I expect to be in a position to go to Government in this regard very soon.
To be clear, no legislation will be required in order to finalise the legal framework.