PBP TD says Minister Harris should reverse decision to grant control of National Maternity Hospital to Sisters of Charity
Press Release- Bríd Smith TD
18/04/2017
PBP TD says Minister Harris should reverse decision to grant control of National Maternity Hospital to Sisters of Charity which ran infamous Magdalene Laundries who refuse to pay promised redress
People Before Profit TD, Bríd Smith, has said that she is disgusted to hear of the news that Health Minister, Simon Harris is to grant control of the new €300 million State funded National Maternity Hospital to the Sisters of Charity Religious Order.
The Dublin South Central TD said that it is a disgrace that in the aftermath of the Tuam Babies scandal and the failure of the Sisters of Charity to pay full promised redress to the victims of the Magdalene Laundries and other cases of institutional abuse that the Minister should hand over control of this State funded maternity hospital to a religious institution.
She said: “I think that it is quite disgraceful that after all that happened in the Magdalene Laundries and the disgusting revelations from Tuam and other Mother and Baby Homes that Simon Harris would see it fit to hand over control of our National Maternity Hospital to one of the religious orders that ran some of these repulsive institutions and which essentially tortured women and their babies.
“It is disgraceful to see that an institution which has historically abused the rights of women and helps to maintain the anti-choice constitutional grip over this country in the form of the 8th amendment is given more control over women and their bodies.
“This order has only paid €2 million towards the €5 million promise they had made to the total state redress scheme of €1.5 billion towards the victims’ families of institutional child abuse. And now the Minister has proceeded to basically reward the Sisters of Charity with control of the National Maternity Hospital.
“What needs to be asked is how the Department of Health and the Minister came to the conclusion that an order, which stood over the abuse, mistreatment and malnourishment of women and children should receive the contract for control over our National Maternity Hospital?
“I am calling on Minister Harris to reverse this decision immediately and to bring all of our hospitals out of the control of religious orders. People Before Profit has, for a long time, called for full democratic control of our hospitals via community councils. We need the Church out of our hospitals, out of our schools, out of our wombs and out of our lives.”
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Contact- Bríd Smith- 087 909 0166
Nick Lee- 0876156473