KELLY QUESTIONS OWNERSHIP OF NATIONAL MATERNITY HOSPITAL

Issued : Tuesday 18 April, 2017

Labour Party spokesperson on Health, Alan Kelly TD, has today slammed the decision to give the Sisters of Charity sole-ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital, a fully state-owned hospital.

“Given the events of recent weeks, not to mention the failure of religious congregations to meet their share of the cost of redress, it seems extraordinary to see the State continuing to fund an increase in the asset values of those same congregations.

“The fact that the Sisters of Charity have been given sole-ownership of this land when they are party to the €128 million redress scheme with the State is ludicrous.

"I will be calling for Minister Simon Harris to give a full account on why this decision was made by his Department when the Dáil returns. 

"The Labour Party believes that into the future, all buildings that are funded by the state should be owned by the state."