The former master of Holles Street Hospital says he's concerned about clinical independence at the new National Maternity Hospital.
The Sisters of Charity transferred land ownership of the site to a new charity, which will operate the hospital and lease it to the state.
The religious order's accounts last year stated directors at this charity would be obliged to uphold the values of the Sisters - meaning the hospital would be run with a Catholic ethos.
Dr Peter Boylan says unless the land is owned by the state, there are no guarantees of clinical independence at the hospital.
"They said that they were giving the land and that to the people of Ireland."
"But they weren't of course."
"They were gifting it to the St. Vincent's Holdings, a private company."
"Unless the land is owned by the state and the new National Maternity Hospital has no connection whatsoever with St. Vincent's Holdings, then there can be no guarantee of independence of clinical work in the new hospital."
The new National Maternity Hospital must be publicly owned and wholly secular. Nothing less is acceptable.
Rally at the Dáil, Saturday 26th June, 1 pm. #MakeNMHOurs pic.twitter.com/iWi5SfTYrA— OurMaternityHospital #MakeNMHOurs #CACOWH (@OurMatHosp) June 19, 2021
"That'll Be The Ethos If We Don't Stop It"
Chairperson of The Campaign Against Church Ownership of Women's Healthcare, Jo Tully, says women won't even be able to avail of contraception in the hospital if it has a religious ethos:
"That is going to be the ethos if we don't stop it."
"That's what our new National Maternity Hospital is going to be dictated by."
