Tanaiste Leo Varadkar arriving at Dublin Castle for a cabinet meeting this morning; Róisín Shortall on the plinth at Leinster House this afternoon
This afternoon.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall has asked the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar to “immediately clarify remarks” he made in which he said he worked at the national maternity hospital and that “some people” were failing to acknowledge that Holles Street is a “Catholic-ethos hospital”.
Deputy Shorthall said:
“There is a very simple reason that people are not acknowledging this. Mr Varadkar is wrong. Holles Street was never a Catholic-run, or owned, hospital.
“The national maternity hospital in Holles Street was set up by Royal Charter in 1903. That Charter makes no reference to Catholic ethos. This is why services contrary to Catholic ethos – like sterilisation and IVF – are performed.
“Contrary to this, St Vincent’s is most definitely a Catholic-ethos hospital and declines to provide women a full range of medical services – like sterilisation or even contraception – for that reason.”
Earlier….
The Tánaiste is 100% wrong about Catholic ethos in Holles Street. In making that mistake he precisely proves my point about the critical issue of the ownership of the land on which the new National Maternity Hospital is to be built. Let me explain in this thread… 1/7 https://t.co/oi5DEBQ9h1
— Peter Boylan (@drboylan) June 21, 2021
Leo spoofing again, keeps his name front and centre I suppose.
Oh look! Leo’s lips are moving… #LeoTheLiar
He isn’t 100% wrong in what he said:
“But I will say this, and I think some people aren’t acknowledging this, Holles Street, the National Maternity Hospital, is a Catholic-ethos hospital, at least on paper the chairman is the Archbishop of Dublin, although he wants to come off that.”
He acknowledged that there wasn’t a catholic influence:
“I worked there, I did part of my training in the National Maternity Hospital, I never, ever felt that there was a nun or a priest looking over my shoulder when it came to giving the right care to women.”
Here’s what he knows… apparently.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1407273586537152517
An Archbishop is automatically chair of the current National Maternity Hospital board. This means that no woman can ever be in the top seat. That can not continue with the new hospital, which MUST be publicly owned and secular.
Rally at the Dáil, 26th June, 1 pm. #MakeNMHOurs