People have rejected the power of the Catholic Church on two occasions – on Repeal and Marriage Equality. But the Bishops retain institutional power, controlling hospitals and schools. The neoliberal Irish state likes it because it can hide behind a ’voluntary sector’ to deny people social rights.
The Sisters of Charity had to get Vatican approval for the transfer of land for the NMH. They have included a clause that the hospital will make ‘provision of all clinically appropriate and legally permissible healthcare services.’
The current St Vincent’s Hospital also says that “There is no prohibition on any medical procedure, whether elective or emergency, that is clinically indicated, including vasectomy or tubal ligation.” But Vincent’s do not undertake tubal ligations according to a letter published in the gist (https://www.thegist.ie/the-gist-not-all-there/)
So ‘clinically appropriate’ is the way the Sisters of Charity will maintain their influence.
We have had enough of this nonsense. The land should be taken off the Sisters of Charity and a public, secular hospital should be built.
Make The NMH Ours: Dáil Eireann, 2pm, Sat 14th May
