Government faces call for clarity on National Maternity Hospital plans after Boylan claims
Dr Peter Boylan said the Tallaght campus has sufficient space to facilitate the NMH move were a decision to go that way. File picture: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie
The Government is facing calls for clarity on National Maternity Hospital (NMH) plans after claims it was considering moving the NMH to Tallaght Hospital as a "plan B".
A former master of the NMH has claimed that a Cabinet minister informed him that the new maternity hospital may be located at Tallaght instead of St Vincent’s Hospital.
The proposed move of the NMH from Holles Street in Dublin city centre to St Vincent’s Hospital at Elm Park has been again plunged into controversy after the hospital group rejected Government offers to buy the proposed site for it.
Speaking on RTÉ, Peter Boylan said he had a conversation with Higher Education Minister Simon Harris last weekend during which the comments were made.
A spokeswoman for Mr Harris, a former minister for health, confirmed the two men met but would not divulge the conversation as it was private.
Government sources have said, given the length of time the project has taken, it is natural that other options would have been looked at and Tallaght is a highly workable option.
“I think the Government are considering a plan B, and let me tell you why I say this," said Dr Boylan. "Last Saturday, I was out returning from the shops when I bumped into Simon Harris. We discussed the issue of the hospital.
"He suggested that possibly Tallaght might be an option. That makes me think the Government is considering a plan B.”
During the interview, Dr Boylan said, in his view, the Tallaght campus has sufficient space to facilitate the move were a decision to go that way.
“The ownership of the land is critical, and everything flows from that. There is no way that the Sisters of Charity will be able to hand over ownership of the land without the permission of the Vatican.
“In the last few days, everything has changed. This has been going on for years,” added Dr Boylan.
Responding to the comments, a spokeswoman for Mr Harris said that the “minister briefly met Dr Boylan while canvassing in Dublin Bay South on Saturday.
"They had a private discussion and the development of the NMH was discussed.
"Minister Harris reiterated his view and the Government’s view that the State should own the land and discussed other land the State owned in the city.
"As it was a private conversation, Minister Harris has no further comment to make.”
Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane described the comments attributed to Mr Harris as "extraordinary".
The Waterford TD said that clarity was needed from the Government as to what the thinking is.
“We need absolute clarity from the Government, are they serious about a plan B,” he said.
The St Vincent’s Group on Tuesday said it is not willing to sell the land on which the new NMH will be built.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said he did not think setting out conditions in press releases was "helpful".
"The people of Ireland fund St Vincent's. I think the people of Ireland are owed more respect than to be told by press release by St Vincent's what is and is not going to happen," he said today.
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