Local TD calls on all TDs to support motion to build National Maternity Hospital on public land

Sinn Féin TD for Longford Westmeath, Sorca Clarke, has urged TDs to back a motion in the Dáil next week to encourage the government to ensure the National Maternity Hospital is a public hospital on public land.

The motion will be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday.

Deputy Clarke said: “This week, Sinn Féin will bring forward a motion in the Dáil to compel the government to ensure the National Maternity Hospital is built on public land.

“The motion also commits the hospital to ensure all necessary safeguards are adopted to ensure the integrity and the highest quality of care on the site. The motion sets out that this must include the full provision of the range of legally available sexual and reproductive health services.

“The National Maternity Hospital is a vital project which should provide much-needed improvements to women’s healthcare. It needs to be built and operational as soon as possible, but expedience cannot be used to dilute rights in any way.

“The full range of legal permissible services, from fertility treatments to termination of pregnancy, whether medical or surgical, must be available in the hospital to any qualifying patient.

“Serious questions are yet to be answered and the Minister cannot expect a leap of faith from the women of Ireland. In recent weeks, the government has failed to provide adequate reassurance on these important issues. It isn’t good enough.

“The hospital must be a public hospital built on public land. There must be absolute, cast-iron guarantees, in black and white, that all legally permissible services will be available to those who want them.

“This must go beyond a vague commitment to legal and clinically appropriate services and should be explicit in the services which will be available and the terms on which a patient is entitled to access them.

“That means when a patient wants fertility treatment or a termination of pregnancy, to which they are legally entitled, there will be no obstacle to accessing that healthcare.

“The government’s dismissive attitude towards women’s concerns is deeply concerning and has failed to provide reassurance on these important issues.

“I am urging all TDs to back Sinn Féin’s motion on Tuesday and ensure that these much-needed guarantees are put in place. Women’s healthcare in Ireland has a painful history and it is crucial that lessons are learnt so that women can receive the best possible care without ideological interference.”