Skip to main content
Normal View

National Maternity Hospital

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 March 2022

Thursday, 31 March 2022

Questions (37)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

37. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if he will now consider the compulsory purchase of the site at St. Vincent's hospital, or any other site, to ensure the new national maternity hospital is publicly owned and publicly run; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16849/22]

View answer

Written answers

The Government is committed to the development of the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) planned for the St Vincent’s University Hospital Campus at Elm Park, as set out in the Programme for Government. The Government is also aware of the concerns that have been raised regarding ownership and governance of the new NMH, and recognises that these matters must be addressed.

When it comes to the new NMH, howsoever achieved, we all ultimately want the same outcome and that is to ensure that all legally permissible services are provided in the new hospital. This is an absolute requirement. We must also ensure that the State’s significant investment in the facility is protected.

The proposed corporate and clinical governance arrangements for the new NMH were set out in the Mulvey Agreement, that 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 draft legal framework subsequently developed is designed to copperfasten these arrangements and will address both the ownership and governance of the new hospital, in order to:

- ensure that all clinically appropriate and legally permissible services will be available in the new NMH;

- prevent any influence, religious or otherwise, on the operation of the new hospital; and

- safeguard the State’s significant investment in the hospital.

There is a process ongoing to finalise the legal arrangements, however, I will not bring any proposal on ownership and governance of the new National Maternity Hospital to Government unless it provides assurances around full healthcare for women being provided there in line with the objectives I have set out above.

Top
Share