Let’s not kid ourselves… our Maternity Hospital remains shrouded in secrecy

Surely few expected to achieve a turnaround quite so seamlessly?

Today, the Sisters Of Charity announced that they are divesting their interest in the National Maternity Hospital - a move being viewed, as a quick glance on social media will attest, as a win for people power. After all, over the last month a petition against religious involvement in the new hospital was signed by some 100,000 individuals. "It’s a victory for the women and people of Ireland," said Parents For Choice spokesperson Helen Guinane earlier. "It's a victory in that the Sisters Of Charity will have no involvement." However, others have been rather more cautious in their celebrations. Indeed, Parents For Choice added in its statement: "We are still very tentative until we get more details about how it will work in practice. In a release today, Sr Mary Christian announced: "The Religious Sisters Of Charity will end our involvement in St Vincent’s Healthcare Group and will not be involved in the ownership or management of the new National Maternity Hospital." It all sounds clear cut: the order is relinquishing control and ownership - not to the State, however, but to a "newly formed company with charitable status, to be called St Vincent's". And that important detail is today making some people rather nervous. Does the Health Minister plan, for example, on handing ownership of the National Maternity Hospital to this new charity St Vincent's? If so, who is behind it? It's a question very much on Aims Ireland's radar. They released a statement calling on Minister Harris to state "with clarity, what the ethos of this hospital, funded by the Irish taxpayer, will be. We look to him to make a commitment to modern best-practice and evidence based care and make a true break from the past, with this new and much needed, state-of-the-art facility. "We look forward to the appointment of the new board and urge that any directors appointed must agree to ensuring that the ethos is one that only reflects international best practice regardless of individual opinion or beliefs. Aims Ireland also seek clarity on the mechanism of how that board will be appointed, to ensure just that."

#BREAKINGNEWS https://t.co/5Gb5IxBZfH

— AIMS Ireland (@AIMSIreland) May 29, 2017

Mr Harris is expected to bring proposals about the ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital to cabinet this week - a move which he can be assured will be watched intensely. It's certainly been something of a rollercoaster month. The 1,500 who marched in Dublin on May 7, not to mention those 100,000 people who passionately lent their objections to religious involvement in maternity services in this country can right feel that they have achieved some small victory. However, until we know just exactly who will own, run, and operate the State's Maternity Hospital - any jubilations should be kept in close check.