Doctor quits maternity hospital over plan to hand ownership to Irish nuns
One of Ireland's most respected obstetricians has quit the board of Dublin's National Maternity Hospital to protest its proposed move to land owned by an order of Catholic nuns with a long history of abuse allegations.
"I couldn't possibly remain part of a board that was so blind to the consequences of the actions they were taking and so deaf to the concerns of the public and women in particular in Ireland about what was a happening," Dr. Peter Boylan told As It Happens host Carol Off.
A lot of the day-to-day activities in a modern maternity service are anathema to Catholic teaching.- Dr. Peter Boylan
Boylan's departure ends more than 30 years of association with the hospital, of which he used to be the master, making clear his position in what he calls "a battle between Church and state." His colleague Dr. Chris Fitzpatrick also stepped down in a show of support.
The NMH has existed at its current Holles Street location since the 1930s. With facilities in dire need of an upgrade, the board of directors has voted in favour of moving to a new site owned by St. Vincent's Hospital Group, which is itself owned by the Religious Sisters of Charity.
The board and the health ministry have both vowed that the hospital will operate independently from the nuns.
"The hospital must have clinical, operational and financial independence, with no question of religious interference and with a role for the Minister for Health of the day to guarantee this," Health Minister Simon Harris said in an online statement.
At the NMH protest at Holles Street <a href="https://twitter.com/parents_4choice">@parents_4choice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/freesafelegal">@freesafelegal</a> <a href="https://t.co/mSZ4FVjCjE">pic.twitter.com/mSZ4FVjCjE</a>
—@AlisonConnolly1But Boylan doesn't buy it.
"It's kind of delusional to think that you can have a Catholic church-owned hospital that will be happy to allow IVF, abortions, sterilization, etcetera," he said.
"A lot of the day-to-day activities in a modern maternity service are anathema to Catholic teaching."
The move has sparked protests in Dublin, where the Sisters are remembered for their role in running many of Ireland's mother and child homes, also known as Magdalene Laundries, which housed unwed mothers and their children.
- AS IT HAPPENS: Man born in orphanage where mass grave found demands apology
The Sisters of Charity is one of 18 religious organizations accused by Ireland's Ryan Commission of widespread child abuse in its institutions. The order is also millions of Euros behind on promised redress payments to survivors, according to an auditor general report.
"Even if they'd paid $100 million in reparation, it still would be wrong for the Irish state to be gifting a $300-million maternity hospital to a religious order with such a history," Boylan said.
Still, he says he would have the same ethical concerns with any religious order taking an ownership stake in the hospital.
"It creates a lot of problems from an ethical point of view," he said.
The move will be put before Ireland's Parliament in May. As It Happens has reached out to the Ministry of Health and the Sisters of Charity for comment, but received no response by end of day Friday.