An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-17
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Mary Fitzpatrick (FF), Industrial and Commercial Panel

I put on the record of the House my deep frustration and anger with the decision by An Coimisiún Pleanála to overturn the granting of planning permission for the Rotunda Hospital on Parnell Square. The Rotunda Hospital has catered to women, babies and families for more than 280 years. It is hard to know exactly how many babies have been born there, but it is in the many hundreds of thousands. Some estimates put it at a million but, over 280 years, it has taken care of women and their babies and has brought babies into the world with great care. It is totally unacceptable to listen to the male voices that are dominating the discussion on this issue, particularly the voice of the Dublin Civic Trust I listened to today. I really do not accept that at any point, in any level or in any universe - any universe at all - that the protection of architectural built heritage supersedes the protection of human life; a woman's life or a baby's life. That is what was decided. It was decided that architectural heritage needed protecting more than women's lives and more than babies' lives. It is completely unacceptable.
The only people I am probably as livid with are the fine female leaders of the Opposition who could not find the Rotunda if you gave them a map.
They are now falling over themselves to criticise the Government and were the Government to interfere in the planning process, they are the ones who would accuse it of political interference. The previous Government supported the Rotunda Hospital. In fact, we supported the Rotunda to move the outpatients so that they could actually go ahead with this building work. The Rotunda Hospital was supported to upgrade and create the gynaecological clinic and to establish for the first time a public menopausal clinic. It is bankrupt, shallow, cynical politics on their behalf. However, my ire is really drawn to An Bord Pleanála and to whomsoever in that organisation took its own inspector's report to endorse permission and overturned it. That needs to be made public, because it is unacceptable. It is putting the lives of women and babies at risk. It is totally unacceptable and I speak with a vested interest as my three babies were born there. When I had a miscarriage, I went to the Rotunda Hospital and they cared for me. It is totally unacceptable that the Rotunda Hospital is going to waste its time, funds, resources, talent and care having to fight this case. It is a low point for planning and the weaponisation of planning in our country.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17