Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 March 2022
68. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the way in which he plans to reconcile the requirements for full healthcare for women, including termination of pregnancy, in the new national maternity hospital if it is built on land owned by a Vatican-approved successor organisation to a Catholic religious congregation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17061/22]
View answerLet me begin by restating that 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, including termination of pregnancy, being provided there.
Under the proposed legal framework, neither the Vatican nor the Religious Sisters of Charity will play any role in the governance or operation of the new hospital. The Sisters will be transferring their shareholding in St Vincent's Healthcare Group to the new company St Vincent’s Holdings. The published constitution of St Vincent’s Holdings makes no reference to Canon Law and my Department has previously been advised, in writing, that Canon Law will not impact on that company.
However, regardless of who owns the land on which the new NMH will be built, the legal framework that is being developed 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 undue influence, religious or otherwise, on the operation of the new hospital; and
- safeguard the State’s significant investment in the hospital.
Work is ongoing to finalise the legal arrangements that will underpin this vital project and I hope to be in a position to bring a Memorandum to Government on this matter in the coming weeks.
