Proposal to end row over National Maternity Hospital site 'is smoke and mirrors'

The National Maternity Hospital, Holles St, Dublin. Ongoing concerns over ownership and governance have led to a political wrangle over moving the hospital from Holles St to a site at Elm St in Dublin 4, where it will be co-located with St Vincent’s Hospital. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

A campaign group has hit out at the "smoke and mirrors" proposal for ending the long-running row over the ownership of the National Maternity Hospital site.

Ongoing concerns over ownership and governance have led to a political wrangle over moving the hospital from its existing location at Dublin’s Holles St to a site at Elm St in Dublin 4, where it will be co-located with St Vincent’s Hospital.

The St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG) has thus far rejected calls to sell the land, saying it must own it “for the delivery of integrated patient care”.

The latest proposal outlines how the group would lease the €800m hospital to the State for 299 years, double the previous offer. There would also be significant changes to the composition of the hospital's board, to increase the representation of the public interest.

However, Our Maternity Hospital campaign group said the new deal does not address fundamental issues and the group remains unconvinced that moving to St Vincent's is the best option for the new hospital.

"Extending the length of a lease over the site, which the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group insists it must own for 'clinical, governance and operational reasons' does nothing to instil confidence regarding the independence of the new hospital," said the campaign group in a statement. 

If the ownership of the site is necessary for governance, the State must own it."

The group was also dismissive of the proposal to change the composition of the hospital's board. 

"Increasing the number of public interest directors on the board of a private charity cannot obscure the fact that this board will govern the operations of a publicly funded hospital built on religiously owned land.

"We remain unconvinced of the wisdom of transferring the National Maternity Hospital to the St Vincent’s site, and vehemently opposed to the handover of a publicly constructed, publicly funded facility to a private charity. 

"We are further opposed to the involvement of the St Vincent’s Hospital Group in the running of what must be a fully secular hospital — assurances of independence notwithstanding."

A spokesperson for St Vincent's Hospital Group did not respond to a request for comment, though it is understood that some of the discussions between the group and the Department of Health have concluded on the broad outline of a proposal.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring abortion services are available at the new hospital. Mr Donnelly said in a parliamentary response to Solidarity TD Mick Barry that he will not bring any proposal to Cabinet which does not include provision for the services.

"In relation to the provision of termination services at the new National Maternity Hospital, I am absolutely committed to ensuring that all clinically appropriate and legally permissible services will be provided there, and I do not intend to bring any proposal to Government unless it achieves this," said Mr Donnelly.