Health Minister Simon Harris must 'do the right thing' in National Maternity Hospital row, group says

By Aengus O'hanlon
Irish Mirror
April 22, 2017

https://goo.gl/ePI4l5

Minister for Health Simon Harris TD

Health Minister Simon Harris needs to “do the right thing” in the ongoing row over the new national maternity hospital, a campaign group said.

Uplift believes the public is “deeply confused, hurt and angry” by the plan to transfer ownership of the proposed €300million site to the Sisters of Charity, which was linked to the abuse of women in the Magdalene Laundries.

A petition on the group’s website had more than 85,000 signatures today – making it the largest of its kind since the body started in December 2014.

Spokeswoman Siobhan O’Donoghue said: “People are deeply, deeply confused, hurt and angry by the plan to transfer ownership of this badly needed maternity hospital to a religious order linked to the abuse and mistreatment of women taken into the Magdalene Laundries.

“This just goes to show there is real outrage about the planned ownership of National Maternity Hospital by the Sisters of Charity amongst the Irish public. People are willing to take action and show leadership. Uplift members have done much more than just sign the petition.

“They have called, emailed and visited their TDs and local radio stations and they have made sure the issue has gone viral on social media.”

Uplift also hit back on the “fear mongering” about the future of the project if the Sisters of Charity were refused ownership, which they say is designed to try and undermine public opposition to the plans.

Campaigner Emily Duffy said: “The Government are trying to convince us that without the Sisters of Charity, our National Maternity in Hospital is in jeopardy.

“This couldn’t be further from the truth.”

But Mr Harris said the hospital was “desperately needed” and called for cool heads.

He told the Irish Medical Organisation’s annual conference in Galway: “This has been difficult for all stakeholders and I know St Vincent’s want time to reflect on this and indeed to reflect on some of the things I have said. I respect that.

“But here’s the thing. We need to build this new hospital. It is not good enough for women have to ‘put up with’ delivering their babies in Holles St, which the master, Dr Rhona Mahony, very clearly says is a hospital facility which is not fit for purpose.”

Meanwhile, the Labour Party passed three emergency motions on the proposed move of the
National Maternity Hospital to the St. Vincent’s site.

It condemned “the recent decision to place the new National Maternity Hospital in the ownership of a religious order”.