Keep our National Maternity Hospital Public.
On this day three years ago Ireland’s 35-year-old abortion ban was repealed by a 66.4% majority. The Congress Women’s Committee is seeking to ensure that the democratic vote will be fully honoured.
Women in Ireland are facing an uncertain future with the prospect of a new National Maternity Hospital, paid for but not owned or run by the State, that withholds full reproductive healthcare, including terminations.
We cannot have a situation where the ownership and control of the new maternity hospital will impede its complete clinical independence. Women’s healthcare must remain the priority and the hospital must provide all healthcare services available under Irish law.
For these reasons, we reiterate our call from our 2020 Women’s Conference that Government ensure that the new maternity hospital should be state run and owned and that its healthcare services should not be influenced by any religious ethos.
Irish Congress of Trade Unions Women’s Committee.
