18 April 2017
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Mick Barry TD
Cork North Central Solidarity TD Mick Barry this morning voiced strong opposition to plans to make the Sisters of Charity the sole owners of the new National Maternity Hospital.
Deputy Barry is a member of the Dail’s Committee on the Future of Healthcare which is due to issue its report next month.
He said that the Sisters of Charity were in “serious breach of commitments given to the State regarding payments for redress for survivors of institutional abuse and should not be rewarded by being made sole owners of the new 300 million euro National Maternity Hospital.”
Mick Barry said “the Sisters of Charity have a 3 million euro debt outstanding on a 5 million euro payment pledged after the publication in 2009 of the Ryan report and have yet to transfer ownership of the Sacred Heart Centre in Waterford to the State as agreed in 2002 as part of the indemnity deal. The Sisters of Charity refused to make any contribution to redress for survivors of those Magdalene Laundries it was responsible for.”
Deputy Barry said this morning “The Minister for Health needs to explain why this deal is being put in place when the Sisters of Charity are in serious breach of their commitments to the State. He also needs to explain why he feels that a religious order should be given sole ownership of a national maternity hospital financed by the State in the 21st century.”
