The Women’s Podcast: National Maternity Hospital’s ‘watershed moment’

“I feel they’ve done the right thing. I think it’s deeply regrettable that they were subjected to such vilification over the past month or six weeks.”

In this latest episode of The Women's Podcast the Religious Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times, Patsy McGarry, gives his reaction to today's statement from the Sisters of Charity that they are to end their involvement with the new National Maternity Hospital.

His story in this paper last month revealed that sole ownership of the hospital was to be given to the religious order, sparking outrage, protests and a petition that gathered more than 100,000 signatures.

Today’s announcement is a “watershed moment”, he tells Róisín Ingle on the podcast, and “has set in train a process of withdrawal for the congregations from healthcare particularly and maybe less so, but also, from education . . .

“It allows for a situation whereby healthcare and education are more compliant with the complicated and more diverse Ireland we have today and essentially are compliant with the laws of the land.”

To listen to the podcast in full, go to iTunes, Soundcloud or your preferred podcast app.