LABOUR TO DEBATE EMERGENCY MOTIONS ON NATIONAL MATERNITY HOSPITAL CONTROVERSY

Delegates at the Labour Party’s National Conference in Wexford will this morning debate Emergency Motions on the controversy surrounding the ownership and governance arrangements of the planned National Maternity Hospital at St. Vincent’s campus in Dublin.

It comes after it was revealed that the Sisters of Charity would be the sole owners of the State funded facility, due to the religious group’s ownership of the site.

The Emergency Motions, which are being tabled by the Labour Women’s group and branches from Dublin West and Tipperary, argue that the new National Maternity Hospital should be taken into public ownership, and reject the premise of religious institution involvement in the provision of State healthcare services.

The items will be debated from 11am as part of this morning’s discussion on Health and Childcare, with speakers to include Labour’s Health Spokesperson, Deputy Alan Kelly, Finance Spokesperson Deputy Joan Burton, and Sinead Ahern, the Chair of Labour Women.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

STANDING ORDERS REPORT NO. 3

 The Following Emergency Motions concerning the National Maternity Hospital be debated and voted upon on Saturday Morning as part of the debate on Health and Children:-

 (1A) Conference notes that the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital from Holles St. to the St. Vincent’s Campus, Dublin, involves a very substantial investment by the State in maternity services.

Conference rejects the proposed ownership and governance arrangements of the National Maternity Hospital on St. Vincent’s campus as unsatisfactory and unacceptable.

 Dublin West Constituency Council & Mulhuddart Branch

 (1B) Conference condemns the shameful history of violence and abuse suffered by women, children and other vulnerable groups in institutions under religious control throughout the history of the state.

 Conference believes that religious institutions should have no part in the provision of State healthcare services.

 Conference condemns the recent decision to place the new National Maternity Hospital in the ownership of a religious order.

 Conference believes that not only does this decision place women’s lives in jeopardy but that it reflects the level of contempt Fine Gael have repeatedly shown towards maintaining the dignity, health and lives of women in Ireland.

 Conference calls on the government to immediately reverse this decision and to ensure secular independent state ownership and management of our National Maternity Hospital and all further stage funded healthcare infrastructure. 

 Labour Women

 (1C) In view of the extraordinary revelations concerning €300 million of tax-payers money and the uncertainty and public disquiet surrounding the much-needed re-location of the National Maternity Hospital to the St Vincent’s site, firstly in regard to long-term ownership and secondly in regard to its clinical independence and governance,

 Conference moves that the entire St Vincent’s site and the folio of properties currently owned by the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group be taken into public ownership.

 In addition to securing the future of the National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s University Hospital, a public hospital, this will add St Vincent’s Private Hospital to the national portfolio, providing extra public capacity for all the citizens of this country.

 Ardarra/D.O’Donnell Branch, Tipperary