Varadkar: Government TDs who vote against National Maternity Hospital will face sanction
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Any government TD who votes with the Opposition on a motion relating to the National Maternity Hospital will face “inevitable” sanction, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said.
He said the Government has not chosen to allow a free vote on the Sinn Féin motion currently under debate in the Dáil and it is expected that government TDs would back the coalition’s position.
He was speaking after Green Party TD for Dublin Central Neasa Hourigan confirmed that she will vote against the Government on a Sinn Féin motion on the NMH tonight.
“I think that's inevitable, There won't be a free vote on this matter that there can be free votes on certain matters, but certainly the government hasn't decided that there should be a free vote,” he said.
Mr Varadkar defended the deal which was approved by Cabinet on Tuesday which sees the Government take a 300-year lease on the site. It has been criticised for not securing full ownership, despite TDs defending the current arrangement as appropriate.
“We do own the hospital, the building the bricks and mortar and we have a 300 year lease. Now that is a form of ownership,” he said.
He said there are two forms of ownership: one is freehold, and the other is leasehold.
He said that while a freehold arrangement “would be ideal, but I understand why that's not possible”.
“And sometimes the perfect can be the enemy of the very, very good and this is very, very good. And despite what some people are saying it is going to be a secular hospital, any procedure that is lawful in the State will be provided there as it is now.
"Unlike the current situation, the Minister, the government will have representatives on the board. The Archbishop and the priests who are currently on the board will be gone,” he said.
Mr Varadkar said he wants the hospital built within five years.
“I want to go to tender as soon as possible and ideally under construction next year, so that it can be available for women and children in four or five years’ time. That's the kind of timeline,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
Dublin South Central TD Patrick Costello is among a number who've voiced opposition to the plan approved by government yesterday.
A vote on a Sinn Féin motion calling for it to be built on public land will take place tonight. Mr Costello, a Green TD, said his party's stance on the hospital isn't something he'll resign over.
"Being in government is a difficult thing and is something that needs to be constantly reviewed as to where I am most effective as a TD to implement the policies that I got elected on to support my constituents. I think certainly for the foreseeable future, my position inside the Green Party is a better place to be," he said