Simon Harris brands concerns over Catholic Church influence on NMH as ‘misguided’ ahead of protest outside Dail
HIGHER Education Minister Simon Harris has branded concerns about the potential influence of the Catholic Church on the new National Maternity Hospital as “misguided”.
He declared: "It's factually incorrect...the nuns are gone."
Minister Harris made the comments prior to a huge demonstration outside the Dail this afternoon protesting against the ownership and governance structure of the hospital.
Debate has raged around the issue of ownership of the new NMH site, in which the state will own the building and the land will be owned by a legal entity called the St Vincent's Holdings Group.
The land was previously owned by the Religious Sisters of Charity but has since been handed over to the group following agreement of the Vatican.
And as a result there is concern about the independence of the hospital to carry out procedures such as abortions.
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The Government has stressed that the clinical integrity of the hospital is preserved in its constitution, and that the leasing arrangements, costing €10 a year for 299 years, effectively amounts to public ownership.
But this has failed to ease the concerns of campaigners, opposition TDs, and some members of Government.
Speaking on The Anton Savage Show on Newstalk this morning, Minister Harris attempted to quell fears around possible religious involvement.
He said: "I think language like 'betrayal' isn't helpful. I think it's deeply unhelpful.
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"I think to be quite frank even a question about the influence of the Catholic Church is so misguided.
“It's factually incorrect...the nuns are gone."
He added: “In many ways, this new hospital is actually the secularisation of a national maternity hospital.
“You will have a hospital [where] the building will be owned by the state.
"The license will be owned by the HSE. The Minister for Health and his successors will have greater levels of legal protection than they currently have in relation to maternity services. Abortion services will be provided."
WHY NO COP?
On why the site wasn’t bought by the state, he said: “The site wasn't for sale is the long and the short of it.
“All this was looked at in great detail and I see people talking about CPO [compulsory purchase order] this week and again, I'm not dividing people on this...but a CPO is unlikely to even succeed because to have a CPO you have to prove that you can't obtain the facility in another way.
“It's also something that could go on for a very long period of time.
The Fine Gael TD continued: “There was no negotiation with nuns. I'm sorry to come back to this. It's just such a misnomer.
NO NEGOTIATIONS WITH NUNS
“There was no negotiation with nuns. In relation to the conversations that took place between St Vincent's, the National Maternity Hospital, the HSE and my [then] department...all aspects were explored.”
The NMH’s constitution states that healthcare procedures that are legal and “clinically appropriate” will be carried out at the hospital.
Earlier this week concerns were raised that this could be legally interpreted in a way that prevents women from receiving procedures that they have requested, such as abortions or tubal ligations.
During an appearance before the Oireachtas Health Committee, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was asked by several members of the committee to change the wording so that it cannot be used to deny women procedures that they request.
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In response to concerns about the ambiguity of the term “clinically appropriate”, Donnelly said the constitution makes it “crystal clear” that all legally permissible procedures will be carried out.
He said: “Not only through the constitution are we guaranteeing clinical, operational independence, we’ve gone a step much further, which I’m advised by the Attorney General is either very rare or unique.”
