State 'does not have automatic right to women's trust', says Minister 

Minister of State Mary Butler says she understands the 'concerns' of women around the ownership and clinical independence of the new National Maternity Hospital

Protestors from the Repeal the 8th movement outside Leinster House in May, as they call on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to ensure that the National Maternity Hospital will be fully secular, and will be under no Church control. File picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

The Government recognises "that the State does not have an automatic right to the uniform trust of the women of this country," a minister has said.

Minister of State Mary Butler spoke during a debate in the Seanad yesterday about the ongoing issues around the ownership and clinical independence of the new National Maternity Hospital.

"We understand the concerns, and we understand where they are coming from," she said.

We also recognise that the State does not have an automatic right to the uniform trust of the women of this country, given the way they have been failed in the past."

The row over the hospital has come back to the fore of Irish politics this month after years of stagnation over the building of a new state-of-the-art facility in Dublin.

In 2017, St Vincent's Healthcare Group, a holding company for the Sisters of Charity, who own currently own the land on which the hospital is to be built, denied a request from the Health Minister to consider an outright site transfer.

Concerns about clinical independence

Campaigners from across the political spectrum have raised concerns about the clinical independence of the hospital should the land be owned by a religious order.

Ms Butler said the 2017 Mulvey agreement provides for the establishment of a new company "which will have clinical and operational, as well as financial and budgetary independence in the provision of health services.

Most importantly, the agreement ensures that a full range of services will be available at the new hospital without religious, ethnic or other distinction."

"As stated previously, the preferred option for the Government would be to build the new hospital on land that is owned by the State."

Ms Butler added: "The Minister for Health states categorically that he will not be bringing any proposals to Cabinet unless he is absolutely satisfied that the State's clear objectives are met through a cast-iron framework."

Stephen Donnelly will have further engagement with "all stakeholders" as arrangements are finalised, Ms Butler said.

Protesters outside Leinster House in May. File picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

St Vincent's Holdings has so far refused the State's request to buy the land.

Senator Lynn Boylan said Ireland felt like "Groundhog Day" because "every time we take a leap forward and become a more open and progressive society for our people, and especially our women, we seem to get dragged back to an Ireland of the past.

For too long, women's health has been at the back of the queue and even today, after repealing the 8th amendment, only half of our maternity hospitals and one in 10 GPs offer abortion services.

"If the Sisters of Charity are sincere in their offer to gift the land for the National Maternity Hospital to the State, then it has to be just that – a gift, with no strings attached."

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Likewise, Senator Alice-Mary Higgins said there was "very real, concrete evidence of the dangers we face if we move ahead with the model suggested."

"We should not be condemning for another 100 years women in Ireland to further arguments.

"There should be no more arguments and there should be State ownership."