Author Archives: Bodger

From top: St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin 4; Minister for Health Stepehn  Donnelly this morning

This afternoon.

The cabinet has agreed to the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital.

Via RTÉ News:

The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, hailed Government approval for the hospital relocation plan as an “important milestone” for maternity services in Ireland.

Mr Donnelly said the new legal framework would ensure all legally permissible services will be available in the new NMH.

It will also “prevent any influence, religious or otherwise, on the operation of the new hospital” and “safeguard the State’s significant investment in the hospital”.

Speaking following the Cabinet meeting, the minister said that there will never be any religious influence on the services which will be provided at the new NMH.

There you go now.

Cabinet agrees to proceed with new maternity hospital (RTE)

Earlier: Expectant

RollingNews

This morning.

Mariupol, Ukraine.

Via Reuters:

Ukraine’s military said  it aimed to evacuate its remaining soldiers from their last stronghold in Mariupol, as fighters that have held out for 82 days began to surrender, heralding the end of Europe’s bloodiest battle in decades.

Reuters saw buses leave the huge Azovstal steelworks overnight and five of them arrive in the Russian-held town of Novoazovsk. In one, marked with the Latin letter ‘Z’ that has become the symbol of Russia’s assault, wounded men were lying on stretchers three bunks high. One man was wheeled out, his head tightly wrapped in thick bandages.

“The ‘Mariupol’ garrison has fulfilled its combat mission,” the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces said in a statement.

“The supreme military command ordered the commanders of the units stationed at Azovstal to save the lives of the personnel … Defenders of Mariupol are the heroes of our time.”

More than 250 Ukrainian troops surrender as Kyiv orders Mariupol to yield (Reuters)

The Dublin Beauties

 

This morning.

Anyone?

This morning.

Dublin Castle, Dublin  2

Speaking on his way into Cabinet, the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan (above), said he believes the plan to relocate the National Maternity Hospital will be agreed today.

Via RTÉ News:

He was asked about the concerns raised by his Green Party colleague Neasa Hourigan last night.

The Dublin Central TD said she continued to have “heartfelt and genuine concern around the pushing through of this deal”.

Ms Hourigan said the Cabinet should “pause this decision for further scrutiny” because “all transactions are built on trust … trust that doesn’t exist right now”.

She added: “I repeat again the need to release all relevant, legal documents related to share transfers from one entity to the other and to either remove ‘clinically appropriate’, clarify it or add rights based language to the documents to protect those receiving services.”

Minister Ryan said he was aware of Ms Hourigan’s concerns but there would be no change to the term ‘clinically appropriate’. It was in the legal documents and clarity had been given on it, he said.

Ryan expects Cabinet to agree hospital relocation today (RTE)

Meanwhile…

This morning.

Dublin Castle, Dublin 2.

Sam Boal/RollingNews

This afternoon.

Hillsborough, county Down.

Via Sky News:

Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O’Neill did not mince their words, and made clear Boris Johnson’s series of meetings with political leaders had got off to a “rocky start”.

They accused the prime minister of attempting to placate the DUP by bringing forward legislation to override the very treaty Mr Johnson himself signed with the EU – describing it as “scandalous”.

Fight!

Meanwhile…

This afternoon.

Watch live here.

Earlier…


The Sisters of Charity are the sole shareholders of the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group which the Department of Health said will be the “sole owner of the new hospital” which is to be built on a site at Elm Park, Dublin 4

This morning.

Letter from St Vincents Hospital Group to the Oireachtas Health Committee who are meeting this afternoon to discuss the National Maternity Hospital relocation.

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile…

Róisín Shortall

…this morning.

Social Democrats Health Spokesperson Róisín Shortall said:

“The cabinet must not sign off on the national maternity hospital deal tomorrow when a number of significant questions remain unanswered

“Those questions are…”

SVHG Financial Position:

“SVHG previously used the State-funded public hospital as collateral to develop its private hospital and commercial car park. It did this without the knowledge of the State. A clause in the draft lease raises questions about whether SVHG would be able to do this again – and take out finance using the national maternity hospital site and hospital as collateral. This is particularly concerning given it must shortly refinance loans it used to construct its private hospital.”

Vatican Permission:

“We know that the Vatican had to give permission to the Religious Sisters of Charity to dispose of its shareholding in SVHG. However, the conditions attached to that disposal have never been disclosed. In fact, the government has stated that nobody on the State side ever even asked to see the Vatican documents assenting to this disposal. Why not?“

Clinically Appropriate:

“There is now broad agreement, even among those who support this project, that the term clinically appropriate is vague and open to misinterpretation. Despite this, there is a marked reluctance to define this term in the legal documents. Instead, SVHG has provided a legally inert letter of comfort to the government while Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has offered to define the term in a further legally inert letter to the Health Committee. Why is there such reluctance to define this crucial term in the only place that matters – the legal agreements, which have not been entered into yet?”

Indemnity:

“The Sisters of Charity have now been indemnified by SVHG – the proposed landlords of the new national maternity hospital. However, the terms of that indemnity deal have never been published. We have no idea how extensive that indemnity is or what the implications for the taxpayer may be – given the new national maternity hospital will be part of St Vincent’s Holdings, which owns SVHG.”

Business Case:

“The cabinet is reportedly intent on signing off on this deal tomorrow – before the business case for the hospital has even been approved. Why is there such an unseemly rush to push this deal through cabinet, when the Department of Public Expenditure has yet to approve the business case for the new hospital and we have no indication of how long that process will take?”

Anyone?

Earlier: Boylan Point

Anthony Sheridan: Finlay’s Casebook

RollingNews

This afternoon.

Update:

Earlier: Sacred And Secular