HOW THE STATE HANDS OVER €200M A YEAR TO THE NUNS... BUT SAYS WE CAN’T INFLUENCE THEIR ACTIONS!
THE State regards both St Vincent’s Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital as ‘independent’ and ‘voluntary’, despite contributing more than €250million a year towards the running of both facilities.
Taxpayers contributed €226million towards the running of St Vincent’s Hospital in 2015, on top of €216million in 2015, and €217million a year before.
Similarly, the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street received €49million in State funding in 2015, on top of €48million in 2014, and €48million in 2013.
In total, €1.3billion of taxpayers’ money has been pumped into the Sisters of Charity-owned St Vincent’s Hospital in the six years up to 2015.
Despite the enormous amount of taxpayer support, a Government spokesman confirmed the agreement between the two hospitals for the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital to the St Vincent’s campus was not discussed by Cabinet last year.
The spokesman said: ‘As this is an agreement reached between two independent voluntary bodies, it wouldn’t have been brought to Cabinet.’
On Thursday, Health Minister Simon Harris stressed the independence of the two hospitals which are not under direct State control.
‘You’ve got to remember these are two voluntary hospitals, neither of them are owned by me as minister or owned by the Irish taxpayer,’ he said.
‘We need to come together and agree to work together, but this is about more than owning a building, it’s about the two hospitals agreeing to
cooperate for the times when something does go wrong and a woman does need access to theatres, to intensive care, to dependency.’
The minister said that a lien will be put on the building to ensure it cannot be sold, cannot be used for a loan, and cannot be used for any purpose, other than maternity care. Mr Harris said he has written to the Health Service Executive to make sure the State’s interest is fully protected.
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith said that the hospital is receiving staggering sums from the HSE, based on figures obtained by the Mail, and therefore the hospital should be in public ownership.
She told the Mail: ‘Everybody knows, the dogs on the street know that the Church and the State are intertwined, and in health and education.
‘And Simon Harris’s denial of the same is just nonsensical. Many groups have been calling for a separation of the Church and the State, in terms of responsibility, expenditure and power.
‘The frightening thing about the move to give the nuns ownership of this new maternity hospital is that it’s coming flat bang up against the Citizen’s Assembly and the recommendation on the Eighth Amendment.’
‘Looking large over this is the question of women’s control of fertility and their bodies.
‘I find it unacceptable to imagine that the Sisters of Charity won’t have something to say about termination of pregnancy in the future, IVF treatment gender recognition.’
Meanwhile, in a statement to the Mail last night, the Department of Health said: ‘Down through the years, the State’s capital investment in voluntary hospitals has served patients in this country very well and there have been many successful developments with public funding.
‘Such development, in conjunction with voluntary hospitals, has been policy over successive Governments.
‘For example, it has in recent times included major investments at the Mater Hospital, a €266million public investment opened in 2012/2013, and the Nutley Wing at St Vincent’s University Hospital, a €29million public investment opened in 2012.’