NMH shambles – result of failure to develop a fully public NHS and separate church and state
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett has said that nothing at all can justify the publicly funded NMH being owned and controlled by a private company with catholic religious influence.
He made the point that this NMH shambles is a direct result of this and previous governments failure to develop a National Health Service and to separate church and state.
The TD said that People Before Profit would be calling on the government to make time this week for the Minister to come before the Dáil before the decision is made by cabinet, to make a statement and take questions from the opposition, on the National Maternity Hospital.
He said: “There can be absolutely no justification for the new National Maternity Hospital being owned and controlled by a private company with any form of religious influence or association.
“Why are a private company with religious associations in anyway involved in the National Maternity Hospital? It truly beggar’s belief. All of the intricate and complex legal arrangements would be unnecessary if the hospital and the land was in full public ownership and was integrated into a fully public health system. What needs to happen is for the state to take control and ownership of the hospital and the land and integrate it into a fully public national health service.
“This shambles is as a result of this government and successive governments’ failure to develop a fully public national health service and to separate church and state.
“We will be calling for the government to make time available for the Minister for Health to come before the Dáil, make a statement and take questions from opposition TDs on this matter.”