Fury over Decision to Allow Nuns to Hold Rights to New Maternity Hospital

By John Patrick Kierans
Irish Mirror
April 20, 2017

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/fury-over-decision-allow-nuns-10263979

People protest outside the Department of Health in Dublin at plans to grant ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital to the Sisters of Charity religious order. (Photo: PA)

Magdalene Laundry survivors have called for a protest against sole ownership the National Maternity Hospital being given to the Sisters of Charity.

The Magdalene Survivors together group has blasted the Government over the decision and want Health Minister Simon Harris, who is refusing to answer questions on the issue, to overturn it.

The call comes as former Holles Street boss Peter Boylan described the choice as “completely inappropriate”.

Steven O’Riordan, chairman of the survivor’s group, said: “This is not just about the Magdalene women, or the children of the past.

“This is about women and children of tomorrow also.

“We believe The Sisters of Charity have no role in those services or facilities. While we acknowledge they gave the land for free, we believe that this is the least could do for all the hurt they have caused in the past.”

Artist impression of the site of the new state-of-the-art children's hospital in Dublin. (Photo: Children’s Hospital Group /PA Wire)

A statement on the St Vincent’s Hospital website reads: “The board, as part of its responsibility develops the hospital and its services in accordance with the principles and ethics of the congregation of the Religious Sisters of Charity.”

Magdalene survivor Mary Murphy asked: “Will the new hospital be covered in holy statues, will there be crosses hanging off the walls and will we see a return to the old days where the medical wishes of the women and children are denied?

“Will our babies if they die be buried in septic tanks, will they be used for vaccination trails, and will they be taken away from their mums and put up for adoption. Will we ever see justice?”

The survivors’ organisation is also alarmed by the revelations of Sister Agnes Reynolds who indicated she “can’t make a judgment” on whether or not the religious order will influence medical care at the new facility.

Meanwhile, Labour leader Brendan Howlin has also hit out at the Government over their “unacceptable” decision.

Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin TD (Photo: Collins)

The former Minister for Health said he did not understand why the nuns were so insistent on ownership, if the site is to be independent.

He told the Sean O’Rourke Show: “It is unacceptable for that volume of public money (ˆ300million) to be allocated and owned by any private entity.

“The St Vincent’s Group is a private entity. It is an anachronism now, that harkens back to the past, for any modern maternity hospital to be owned by any religious order.

“It should be in public ownership, democratically controlled.”

He said Sister Agnes’s comments were “just not good enough”.

Master of the National Maternity Hospital Dr Rhona Mahony said she was shocked at suggestions nuns would run the site.

She insisted it was untrue and services provided by the National Maternity Hospital would be continued.

A petition set up opposing the nuns’ ownership already has 52,000 signatures.