Fresh thinking on National Maternity Hospital impasse vital Influence of ethos and lack of clear State ownership are factors that do not serve women well
Wed, May 5, 2021, 01:00 Peter Boylan
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said no religious ethos can be imposed at the planned new maternity hospital at Elm Park that would impact on services under any circumstances. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
It is eight years since the project to co-locate the new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at the Elm Park campus of St Vincent’s hospital was announced. Four years ago, a wave of public outrage followed the realisation, after years of dispute and mediation, that the new NMH would be owned 100 per cent by the Religious Sisters of Charity, then and still today the sole shareholders of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG).
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Three Government TDs have joined a cross-party Oireachtas group to secure state ownership of the National Maternity Hospital from the Religious Sisters of Charity.
The religious order has transferred ownership of the hospital to a new company but the new lobby group wants a guarantee that the company will be free from Catholic influence.
Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan is a member of the group and says there needs to be clarity around the issue.
Fianna Fáil’s John Lahart and Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill make up the other two members.
Deputy Hourigan told
Book commentary: conflicts in reproductive health in Catholic Ireland it remains to be seen if the Catholic ethos will be set aside so that contraception services, tubal ligations, abortions, and assisted fertility treatment will be provided consistent with secular law and women’s welfare
Robyn Myna from Athlone and David Kiernan from Blackrock protesting outside the Department of Health in Dublin in 2017, in protest of the government’s decision to grant ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital to the Sisters of Charity. Photo:Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie
Sat, 01 May, 2021 - 13:00
Don O Leary
The contribution of religious orders to the provision of hospital services in Ireland extends back to 1834 when the Religious Sisters of Charity founded St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. Generally, the role of religious orders was seen in a positive light by Irish Catholics but over the last two decades public opinion has changed radically.
Maternity hospital will not be impacted by religious ethos, Donnelly says Minister insists Government and HSE will determine services at St Vincent’s site
about 4 hours ago
There is no way that reproductive health services which the Government or Health Service Executive wants to provide at the planned new national maternity hospital could be stopped or watered down due to any religious ethos, the Minister for Health has said.
Stephen Donnelly said no religious ethos could be imposed at the planned new hospital that would impact on services under any circumstances.
“That is an absolute red line,” he said.
The new hospital is earmarked to be developed on a site on the existing St Vincent’s hospital campus in south Dublin.