Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald wants no interference with maternity hospital
Speaking to reporters at the graduation of 143 gardaí at Templemore College, she said: “The women of Ireland badly need it. It has to go ahead and it has to go ahead quickly.
“But I would say the time for any interference in a modern maternity hospital for the future, any interference by religious authorities, that time is in the past.
“And, for the future, women and the country need clarity and that’s what the minister is working to ensure we have. I hope over the next few days we will see significant progress.
"People want a modern maternity hospital that is working to best clinical practice and that the religious orders of the Church have nothing to do with it or with the decisions that are being made for women. I think that’s very important.”
She said the utmost clarity was needed about the hospital and its future.
“We’ve seen what happened in the past, we’ve seen the involvement... and that’s not to say good work hasn’t been done in the fields of health and education but we’re talking about a modern hospital; we’re talking about a maternity hospital, we’re talking about services for the future for women, and I think the country is very clear — that is about the State bringing that hospital and that the key decisions are not in any way influenced by any particular religious ethos.
"A number of issues have arisen and we need further clarity on those issues; that is what the minister is working towards.”
Ms Fitzgerald said the Citizens’ Assembly report on abortion deserves very serious consideration.
She said: “My own view has always been that the Constitution is not the place to deal with this very complex issue; it’s best dealt with between a woman and her doctors. But you also have to have an appropriate legislative basis.
“My own particular view is that there should be a referendum next year. I certainly think, given the timescale that has been outlined, that’s ( referendum next year) certainly a very real possibility.”
On the Garda breath-tests scandal, she said comprehensive answers are needed.
“I have referred it to the Police Authority, who have the ability to hire, to recruit to work, independent experts to examine all of the facts. I would expect a very comprehensive report to emerge from that. I await that report with great interest.
"I think everyone in the country wants to know how this happened: What were the precise circumstances, what were the factors that led to this quite extraordinary situation?”
She also singled out investigations to tackle the Limerick gang feud.
“I think the work by gardaí in Limerick has been quite extraordinary. When there is a crisis in relation to An Garda Síochána, sometimes we don’t hear about the very valuable work that’s done; the dangerous work that’s done by An Garda Síochána, the professionalism with which they do their work.
"And you just have to look at the investigations in Limerick to see that where 24 out of 25 murders were solved and they dealt with a very dangerous situation there.”
Ms Fitzgerald told the new gardaí they are entering the force at a critical time.
She said: “Recent controversies, if not fully addressed, have the very real potential to undermine the traditional strong public trust that An Garda Síochána has enjoyed since the foundation of the State.
“Trust in policing is a cornerstone in any democracy and, once broken, is difficult to restore.”
