Women in Ireland deserve a state of the art, independent National Maternity Hospital

Published: Wednesday, April 19, 2017

In response to the media reports surrounding the planned new National Maternity Hospital,

Niamh Allen, Head of Development, NWCI said,

“NWCI is still very concerned that no solution was found for the new National Maternity Hospital that would not involve the ownership and close co-operation of a religious order. This is all the more disappointing given that the Religious Sisters of Charity have so far failed to provide its share of funds to the redress scheme for victims of institutional abuse.”

She continued,
“Women in Ireland deserve a state of the art National Maternity Hospital which puts women’s health, wellbeing and choices at the centre of all care. Women must be able to trust their maternity hospital that they will be treated in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. NWCI recently did extensive consultations around the country. What women wanted was for maternity services to respond to the needs of a diversity of women, of every religion and no religion. We call on the Government to ensure that any new National Maternity Hospital is fully independent and will provide the full range of reproductive services for women in Ireland, including abortion, in particular if the Eighth Amendment is repealed. The Government should also develop a broader policy that would seek to remove the involvement of religious orders from the provision of publicly funded healthcare services in this country. “

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For more information, please contact Sarah Clarkin, Communications Officer, Tel. 085 861 9087.