Given the level of State investment, I have sought, and received, the agreement of both the National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group that the Board of the new NMH DAC will be competency based and will include a Public Interest representative. While the detail of same has yet to be worked through, the intention is that the Public Interest representative will not be drawn from either the National Maternity Hospital or St Vincent’s Healthcare Group representation on the Board.
My Department has been engaging with both NMH and St Vincent’s Healthcare Group in relation to the legal framework, which will inter alia ensure that the State's significant investment in the new hospital will be protected. Work to finalise the suite of legal documents is ongoing with the NMH and SVHG and is expected to be completed early this year.