IRELAND
Irish Independent
Philip Ryan
April 21 2017
Health Minister Simon Harris has been accused of “practising hypocrisy” over his stance on the Sisters of Charity’s controversial ownership of the long-awaited National Maternity Hospital.
The charge came as Mr Harris insisted the religious order would not gain financially or have any say over medical procedures or treatment at the new hospital. In an official statement, the minister said it was “not true” to say that the “nuns will be running the hospital”.
However, fresh questions have been raised over the minister’s position on the religious order after it emerged that he previously attacked financial arrangements linked to the charity.
Three years ago, Mr Harris lambasted the St Vincent’s Care Group, which is owned by the under-fire religious order, for using a public hospital as collateral for bank loans to build a private car park and health facility.
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