Deputy Haughey asked about the state of Anglo-Irish relations and the review of the strategic relationship between Ireland and the United Kingdom, post Brexit. Progress is under way in that regard. During our most recent meeting, the British Prime Minister and I agreed to increase the momentum of the engagement between our officials in respect of the bilateral relationship between Britain and Ireland post pandemic. We are hoping to bring that to a conclusion in the coming weeks. It is an important issue because, as…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 to 18, inclusive, together. Issues relevant to agriculture are discussed, as required, at a number of Cabinet committees, including the Cabinet committee on economic recovery and investment, which last met on 27 May, and the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change, which last met on 31 May 2021 and is scheduled to meet again on 1 July 2021. The agriculture sector is the largest indigenous industry in the country and it has a key role to play in the economic and so…

In response to Deputy Carthy's points, Fianna Fáil's role in the Common Agricultural Policy and its evolution, going back to the days of Commissioner Ray MacSharry, has been exemplary in terms of fairness, farm families and ensuring the sustainability of the Common Agricultural Policy within the European Union framework throughout this decade. Deputy Brendan Smith, when he was Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, did an enormous amount of work, particularly in terms of sustainable food production. It has b…

I participated in a meeting of the European Council in Brussels on 24 and 25 June. The agenda included Covid-19, economic recovery, migration, relations with Russia and Turkey, and the situation in the eastern Mediterranean. We also discussed Belarus and adopted conclusions on Libya, the Sahel, Ethiopia and cybersecurity. In addition, we had a discussion on LGBTQI equality. Our meeting began with an exchange with the UN Secretary General. We concluded on Friday with a meeting of the Euro Summit. I will report on ou…

The Deputy has laid out the chronology of the situation on the new national maternity hospital and a new modern facility. The first prerequisite and objective of Government is to make sure that we can build a hospital that serves the women and children of the nation in the years ahead and that we build a first-class maternity facility with a neonatal facility co-located with a tertiary hospital. This has been the strategy in the development of maternity hospitals now for quite some time. That said, there has been a…

My understanding is that St. Vincent's Healthcare Group communicated to us, not necessarily the Sisters of Charity, to be precise about it. The Minister is going to engage with both groups and others in that respect. He is back in the Chamber now, I point out in the context of the Deputy's reference. I am not sure what she is proposing, other than to raise the issue. I have been consistent from the get-go about this project in respect of ownership and the taxpayer being protected but also in terms of governance. Th…

-----in any shape or form, influences the operation of the hospital-----

I appreciate the sentiments the Deputy articulated and the support he has offered the Government in dealing with this issue. I very deliberately yesterday and today stated that the Government has put in the bulk of funding and investment in St. Vincent's Hospital, both current and capital. The statement yesterday was not, in my view, an appropriate response at all. I said yesterday that there needs to be respectful engagement with the funders - the taxpayer and the people - who are represented by the Government of …

It can take a long time-----

-----and it could, let us be honest about it, undermine the prospect of ever getting the hospital built. That has to be weighed up. We do not rule anything out here but that has to be weighed up. The announcement on this was made in 2013. The Mulvey mediation took place in 2016. Planning permission has been granted for this. The enabling works on the car park and the pharmacy have been completed. That is where we are right now in respect of this. That said, there needs to be a long, ongoing, sustained relationship …

As I said, the Minister is going to engage with the stakeholders involved-----

It is not just about the church anymore; it is about trusts that follow in the aftermath of what was once religious ownership. That is happening on a number of fronts. It is about the capacity of such trusts to be in a position to manage and govern major tertiary hospitals of this magnitude and complexity into the future. This is an important moment because it sends a signal to any future developments. The Rotunda Hospital and the Coombe Women's Hospital will be more easily facilitated. Others have many issues with…

Things are changing and moving in a certain direction-----

-----and the negotiations here must reflect that reality. The Minister will be engaging on this.

Ar dtús, táim den tuairim go mbeidh an t-ospidéal seo neamhspleách ar an eaglais. Táim den tuairim sin ón méid atá léirithe sna conarthaí go dtí seo agus ón méid a pléadh idir an HSE agus na boird éagsúla. Ní bheidh aon tionchar ag an eaglais ar an ospidéal seo. I am strongly of the view that there will be no religious ethos influence on this hospital. That will not be the case, but the Deputy raised an interesting point about ownership. I will not get into the historic view which she, very simplistically, linked a…

It has been agreed that there should be co-location because that offers better outcomes for mothers and babies, hence, that has created a context to this issue.

The Government will own the new hospital. The issue is the site, which the Government wants to own as well. A religious ethos will have no influence whatsoever in the running of the hospital, nor should the site or the hospital be mortgaged. Furthermore, strong public interest must be reflected on the board of the new hospital, given the nature and scale of the investment by the State in this new hospital. That is where the State stands. The Minister will engage with the stakeholders and will make the views of Gove…

The key motivating factors behind the decision to co-locate the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, with St. Vincent’s were safety, optimal healthcare and outcomes for women and babies plus the deteriorating conditions in the existing physical facility of Holles Street. Those were the key motivating factors in the decision, eventually announced in 2013 after ongoing discussions between the two voluntary hospitals, to co-locate the new national maternity hospital on the St. Vincent's site. The expert medical…

I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I do not accept the argument the hospital group has put forward that the ownership of the site is essential for the safe, integrated system of care. One can deploy many mechanisms to ensure safe integrated systems of care between two hospitals. The ownership of the site is not critical to that. Given the hospital, in terms of the negotiations that are under way, is in the ownership of the State in any event, I do not think that argument stacks up at all. The St. Vincent’s ho…

Ar dtús báire, caithfidh mé a rá go bhfuilimid ag tabhairt lántacaíochta d'iascairí na tíre. Tá an Rialtas taobh thiar dóibh. Beidh mise ag déanamh gach iarracht chun na deacrachtaí agus na fadhbanna atá acu a réiteach. Cuirfear níos mó infheistíochta isteach san earnáil agus tabharfar cabhair do na hiascairí de dheasca an Bhreatimeachta agus a thorthaí. The Government stands in support of the fishers of this country. We understand the challenges of the Brexit deal given the fact that nearly one third of our catch …