Maternity hospital will have full clinical independence – Kenny

The proposed national maternity hospital will have full clinical independence, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said.

His comments follow the recent controversy over the Government's decision to give the St Vincent's Healthcare Group sole ownership of the hospital when it moves from Holles Street to the Elm Park campus next to St Vincent's University Hospital.

The announcement that the new €300 million maternity hospital would be given to the Sisters of Charity-owned healthcare group was met with public protest, and resignations from the Holles Street hospital board and the project board planning the move.

Mr Kenny told the Dáil the Sisters of Charity would not have a majority on the new hospital board, adding the matter of ownership required some consideration.

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“We cannot equivocate about having the very best facilities available for expectant mothers,’’ Mr Kenny added.

Mr Kenny said the decision to move the hospital from Holles Street to the St Vincent’s complex was taken during the period of the last government.

He said he had listened to too many stories about the inadequate facilities in Holles Street.

Seek clarification

He said Minister for Health Simon Harris had been given a month by the Government to allow space for all parties to discuss the hospital's ownership.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin accused Mr Harris of being similar to "a rabbit caught in headlights'' on the issue.

Mr Martin said Mr Harris was writing to the HSE to seek clarification on the deal as if he knew nothing about it.

He said it was not just a Church-State issue. It related to finances, corporate interests and who protected the taxpayers’ investment, he added.

Clinical independence was critical, but so also was that the taxpayer got full recognition of the investment, said Mr Martin.

Mr Martin said the Minister must have known about the ownership issue since last November.

“The Taoiseach must have known ... but he chose not to tell anyone about it,’’ he added. “He hoped people would not notice.’’

Mr Martin said it was only when it became public in the past two weeks, the Minister pretended he never knew about it and suggested he would try to rectify it in the next month.

“I put it to the Taoiseach that there is a moral obligation on everybody, including the St Vincent’s hospital group, to provide and facilitate the provision of the hospital,’’ he added.

Mr Kenny said there was “argument, discussion and conversation’’ about the issue in which Mr Harris was engaging.

Not up to standard

He said Mr Martin, as minister for health, had allowed a situation to drift whereby the Holles Street hospital was not up to standard.

“No, I did not,’’ replied Mr Martin.

Mr Kenny said there were very strong opinions the new hospital should be in public ownership, but the land was not owned by the State.

He said everybody agreed expectant mothers should have world-class facilities and that expert attention should be provided when there were complications with births.

“The plans include private rooms and all the facilities expectant mothers should have in this day and age,’’ Mr Kenny added. “I suggest we should focus on the issues.’’

He said there should be a discussion in the coming weeks regarding a solution to the concerns about ownership that had been validly expressed.

“The Minister is focusing on this issue as a priority and he has the full backing of the Government in that regard,’’ Mr Kenny added.