Donnelly rules out further changes to National Maternity Hospital plans

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly says any   religious involvement in the St Vincent’s Hospital Group has already ended.

The Health Minister has said "no further movement" is possible around the ownership arrangements of the proposed National Maternity Hospital (NMH).

Stephen Donnelly has said the Sisters of Charity and the St Vincent's Healthcare Group (SVHG) have been repeatedly asked to gift the land by successive Governments, but have refused.

"They have been consistent for the last nine years. That simply is not something that has ever been on the table for them," Mr Donnelly has told the Oireachtas Health Committee.

Under the proposals, the State will own the new NMH building which will be co-located with St Vincent's University Hospital on the Elm Park campus, however, the land itself will be leased for 299 years.

Asked by Sinn Fein's David Cullinane if discussions with SVHG could be reopened, Mr Donnelly said: "I wouldn't rule anything out. But my view, for what it's worth deputy, is there is no further movement, this has been discussed for many years."

Mr Donnelly said concerns around the National Maternity Hospital proposals come down to a "deep-seated distrust" based on an "appalling track record" when it comes to the Church and women's reproductive health.

Former master of Holles St, Dr Rhona Mahony said the country had moved forward in repealing the Eighth Amendment and "we are moving forward again" with the new hospital.

"We are saying goodbye to the church completely," she said.

"The vision for this hospital is really a vision of enormous possibilities that we can give to women in this country," she said.

Asked if she has any worries about any possibility of religious interference in the new hospital, Dr Mahony said: "Absolutely not".

She pointed to the series of legal documents and arrangements that create "layer and layer and layer of protection".

Dr Mahony added that there is "no link" to the church given the Sisters of Charity have transferred their shares, meaning their involvement in maternity care is now finished.

Addressing concerns that some care may not be provided at the new hospital, Prof Mary Higgins, Consultant Obstetrician and UCD Gynaecologist Associate Professor, confirmed that termination of pregnancy services have been carried out in the current St Vincent's Hospital.

While she said she could not give "specific" details, she said abortions have been carried out where it was deemed "clinically necessary".

Green Party TD Neasa Hourigan pressed the minister on the figure of up to €1bn which she said has been "floated" for the final cost of the facility, which she said appears significantly above what it should be based on average construction costs per square metre which would put the price closer to €500m.

"We have almost doubled the cost of the hospital ourselves before we ever put it out to tender," she suggested in pressing the Minister on the business case of the hospital.

Mr Donnelly said the current cost estimate for construction the hospital stands at around €800m.

He claimed that as long as the State continues to provide public healthcare in the building and does not change the use of the facility, rent will be charged at €10 each year.