Minister: Moving Site Of New National Maternity Hospital Would Add Years To The Building Process.

Wednesday, 14 July 2021 12:30

File image: Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly/RollingNews

Stephen Donnelly also says it would cost a "very large amount of money".

Moving the site of the new National Maternity Hospital would add years to the building process, according to the Health Minister.

Stephen Donnelly has also said fully nationalising the site at St Vincent's would cost the state a very large amount of money.

The Oireachtas Health Committee, on which sits Kildare North Fine Gael TD, Bernard Durkan, has been debating concerns about the ownership of the site and whether a religious ethos will impact the care given on site.

#OireachtasTV - Watch LIVE as the Joint Committee on Health meets for an update on the new National Maternity Hospital with Minister @DonnellyStephen #seeforyourself
https://t.co/OM4LMB9ODv
https://t.co/fqiROrB3ws
— Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) July 14, 2021

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says nationalising the entire site at St Vincent's probably isn't the right approach

And the Health Minister, in statements to the Oireachtas Health Committee, has admitted there still isn't full compliance with access to maternity units for the partners of pregnant women.

18 of the 19 units are allowing partners in for early assessments.

While just 12 of those units are compliant with high risk pregnancy visits and 15 of the 19 with emergency presentations.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says he is pushing for increased access for partners

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