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The current government of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green Party are determined to ram yet another item down the throats of a nation. In this latest case, the National Maternity Hospital. In their effort, they are aided and betted by biased media and many journalists (which is a whole topic in itself). There are many aspects and questions that government elected and RTE (for example) refuses to disclose and in question avoidance, also is using smear and distraction tactics. On top of this, their Dail antics even worse compounds matters. This post is made to give you an inkling – an introduction – to some of their antics and what they are massively trying to hide from a nation.
SIDENOTE: What this post is NOT, is an attempt to create or stir up hatred. The government biased newspapers are once again spouting that those who opposed the #NMH scandalous hospital giveaway, many connected dodgy antics and pointed out the nuns org national lie (“We will gift the land”), are hate creating. No. Some of us are not.
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- We are simply stating facts. A lot of it buried by the government parties and biased media.
- People are angry. Being angry at deviousness and lies does not automatically make a person spout hate. How others react to truths being pointed out, is up to those further listening individuals! A person can be angry at another or at a party or org – while still overall accepting the same. Simple example… Hell, a lot of elected are angry at their very own party antics – but they still like and remain in their party. They are not spouting hate about it. Government biased papers would rather you not see an important difference between anger and hate. Just keep swallowing their government spin?
Let’s get something out of the way first. The Sisters of Mercy stated they would gift the land needed for the new maternity hospital, to the state. They didn’t. They openly lied to the nation. Instead, they passed it over to a private corporate setup that on which, would sit people of their own choosing. These we might assume, would be people that hold a similar ethos and religion ideology to those that have also hired them? The nuns lied to Ireland. It would not be their only lie in this matter (see here: Link) as they would also public lie about Vatican involvement while dealing with them in the background. This lying situation must be acknowledge – but our government refuses to talk about this national lying – and refuses to subsequently hold them (again) to account. Why? Good question. Moving on…
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- The government for this year (2022) and during the preceding years, repeatedly stated that there was continuing talking ongoing between themselves and the nuns regarding the handover of the land needed. In fact, as was exposed in the Dail by opposition, there had been NO TALKS for FIVE years regarding the transfer of the land. Many RD’s in the Dail and to the media, have been blatantly lying. #RTEcensored. We shall come back to this whole matter later.
. - For a long time the government – individuals at the very top – said that the lease contract wording “Clinically appropriate” would be address and contract adjusted. They lied. What they did actually do, was to string along Dail elected and the people of Ireland, leaving them thinking they were doing something or going to do something. In the end, they did absolutely nothing. Nothing was changed. More betrayal and lies. It was delay tactics, like the nuns org – while they got with other things more quietly behind closed doors and people’s backs.
. - Michael Martin (June 2021) when asked about ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital.
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- When you rent a place, you gain rights and do not further give to your landlord exclusive rights to its use. This would be a crazy notion. However, this is what the FF/FG/Green government has done with the National maternity Hospital. It’s right there in the contract. They will try and spin their way about this – but it’s right there as proof.
. - The lease comes with a license attached. This license voids the ownership that would otherwise attach to a long lease.
. - The license gives the Nuns front setup (yes, nuns running companies), that gives the companies and I quote “Exclusive possession and occupation” of the new facility. Like the lease, the license to do this runs for 299 years. The nuns private setup gets to dictate “Exclusive possession and occupation“. It’s right there in the contract.
. - St Vincent’s Group (the nuns corporate front) openly admitted to an Oireachtas committee on Health – and thus to the nation – that the company already owes €450 million. Any wonder why it gave itself further power to mortgage its freehold interest in “the premises” – and our either stupid or treacherous three parties have not only allowed this to and but also have quietly gone along with it!
. - It gets much worse. The lease stipulates that the tenant (the HSE) cannot “unreasonably” withhold or delay it’s consent to this mortgaging. The nuns are free to financial gamble the land and property. This is sheer epic craziness. It’s right there in the contract that three parties are signing up to. Absolute nuts – but we have only started…
. - St Vincent’s Group is being given by the three parties, to freely reassign the license – to be able to sell its freehold interest. They group stated this on record to the Oireachtas Health committee. The nuns company front can do what it likes, when it likes, and the three government political parties are entering a contract where they legal say – by (taxpayers) rights given away – they cannot interfere! Besides all this ability stated on committee record, it’s also in the contract.
. - Taxpayers who will be paying over one billion Euro to eventually build the National Maternity Hospital (likely to be far more going by other national builds currently happening), have been made understood that the state (the public) would own the actual shell of the new build. Owning the shell is considered near worthless after the nuns company legal takes over because their license cannot be revoked. It’s right there in the contract.
. - The freehold ownership of the hospital combined with the lease/license arrangement adds up to a highly saleable asset for the nuns front company. Fact. There would be no apparently shortage of interest among Catholic healthcare companies overseas – and that’s only those to begin with. However, before that happens, a setup with banks right now ongoing with the nuns, would have to be scrutinised by the prospective financial gamblers. What setup with the banks, you were not also told about? We shall get to that…
. - The coming setup of the National Maternity Hospital board, seriously requires further examination. It will consist of nine people. Three will be minister of the day (anti-choice if they so feel) nominees. Three will be chosen by the St Vincent’s Group (who will be going by nun ethos, of course). three will be others yet to be clarified. So, in the future, depending on an ideology of a conservative party or government of the day, 3+3= 6 will be able to outnumber three others – and by effect, them impose a new hospital agenda or ideology. This setup is right there in the contract. Five/six people in lifelong unaccountable jobs, are about to – and will future be – able to impose their personal views on the rest of the country (via the board they sit on, a national maternity hospital). The three government parties are rushing this and much more in, before the mass population further cops on to what they are further allowing and doing.
. - What the three government parties has allowed, is the shell and inner walls/content of a hospital will be built with public money, built on land owned by nuns, then handed over to a private company – to be run by another private company!
. - The private setup will see the hospital develop private suites and treatment rooms to further accommodate private practice. Not the full public hospital that the triple party government would have the nation swallow. Let’s put it another way, A public funded hospital will still see that those with more money will be able to pay so they may queue jump and thus get preferential treatment. Joe citizen will have to bide their time while the wealthy will be allowed to skip ahead in a pubic hospital.
. - The previous mentioned has a domino effect that three government parties would rather keep hidden – like many others things regarding this continuing scandal. Due to the allowing of private patients into a public setup – and the further inabilities of the government to interject – SlainteCare is jinxed. the state/government cannot insist for the 300 years that others providing healthcare must operate on a one tier system – while they are same time operating in contractual arrangements with further private entities allowed in though it’s doors. SlainteCare will have stay outside while the nuns setup will by a very legal contract, get their own way (again).
. - Odd? One Dr Rhona Mahony, who helped negotiate a 2016 agreement which would have signed over the new coming hospital to the nuns setup, has been apparently on the board of the private SVHG setup for three years. As such, her loyalties would be first to that board and their aims – rather than the NMH?
. - Check the lease – St Vincent’s Healthcare Group will always own both site and every building on the site for the next 299 years. It’s there in print. Legal print.
. - The triple party government says the hospital is secular. This is a big sticking point. Buckets of PR have been poured through biased media stating/backing the government spin. Here too, the same parties and media forget (on purpose?) to disclose further massive details like –
(a) one major delay – between November 2014 and November 2016 – in the hospital being progressed, was caused by the nuns setup when they rejected the original plan – as they continued to insist that one way or other they would eventually get full ownership of the new hospital.
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(b) A two year stall period continued – then came a statement: “We are willing to dissolve the (NMH) charter and agree that the ownership of what is now the NMH will transfer to the ownership of SVHG, a private company owned by the Sisters Of Charity“. Example LINK LINK – there are others.
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Indeed, to quote what’s on Oireachtas record (LINK): “On 29 May 2017, the chair of the board of St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group, insisted, after the Sisters had announced their intention to depart, that the move of NMH to the SVHG site will proceed only on the basis of existing agreements that give ownership and control of the new hospital to SVHG. That intent has been achieved under the current proposals.” This giveaway formed the basis of the Mulvey report of November 2016 – then welcomed by then Minister for Health, Simon Harris of Fine Gael.
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(c) Beginning later in April 2017, a public uproar grew when it emerged that the same nuns religious order which had run Magdalene laundries would own the new NMH. A new nuns front was more spoken about, to detract away from the underlying, still base owners, still pulling strings. Mr Harris then asked the NMH and SVHG board to enter a month-long negotiation process to agree a new ownership structure. An apparent breakthrough came on May 29th when the Sisters of Charity announced they would transfer their shareholding in SVHG to the other new private charity St Vincent’s Holdings (SVH). At same time however, SVHG chairman James Menton insisted the move would “only proceed on the basis of existing agreements that give ownership and control of the new hospital to St Vincent’s Healthcare Group”. SVH directors would be committed to “upholding the values and vision” of Mother Mary Aikenhead.
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So, for all the PR stunts the government has played out across RTE/newspaper print – and continues to play out, the setups and the nuns board appointed members, are still ideology based around upholding the values and vision” of Mother Mary Aikenhead. The new setup is “secular” is it? If they are future joined in board numbers by a conservative political party who wants to turn back the clock in ideology and medical practice, the women of Ireland will be ‘up the creek’ regarding the range of services available. If you think such things are not possible – just look at where the USA via its Supreme Court, is heading in backward direction regarding abortion availability. All it takes is the right (or wrong) government to be in power long enough, to install those that carries their conservative ideology. Trump has proved this can happen already – by doing just this. You have been warned!
. - The Mail On Sunday – May 22nd, 2022: “Its been suggested that the state, because of this very long lease, will operate the new hospital as if it owned the land outright, which sounds great from the State’s point of view. The problem is, if there is no difference between a 299-year lease and full ownership, then why is St Vincent Holdings not willing to sell it? St Vincent’s insist it needs to retain ownership because ‘two landlords and two separate, independent hospitals would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to manage the Elm Park campus and would present significant risks to patient care’. Presumably, that means St Vincent’s believes it would have a bigger say compared to the State in controlling the joint campus if disagreements arose. This means the State, by the same token, may have less say. All of this undermines the idea that a 299-year lease is as good as ownership.”
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For the record: St Vincent’s Health care Group stated on Oireachtas committee record that they “…hold the land. …they own the land” (that is leased to the state). No ifs or buts. Clear cut. Legal fact. They stated they were not going to gift the land to the state. The government is still lying by saying “We own the land“. This from a legal point in law alone, is a 100% lie. The government’s PR claim has absolutely no standing in a legal based court.
. - “This has always been what I would prefer as public ownership and to hold the Freehold.” A statement by government minister Stephen Donnelly in the Dail (12th may 2022 – LINK). Except – this is NOT what has happened – at all.
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Deputy David Cullinane: “Last year, some controversy again arose in respect of this issue. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste responded to concerns from Members of the Oireachtas. At that time, the Tánaiste put on the record his concerns regarding governance, ownership and so on. I would imagine that sparked a fresh round of negotiations the Minister will have been involved in. How intense were those negotiations over recent months, whether it was three months, six months or a year? How involved was the Minister? Who was involved on the other side?”
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Deputy Stephen Donnelly: “The engagement was very intense. The parties involved were the HSE, the Department of Health, St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group and the National Maternity Hospita.”
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Deputy David Cullinane: “Over what time period were the negotiations conducted?”
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Deputy Stephen Donnelly: “Pretty much...”
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Deputy David Cullinane: Was it a year?
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Deputy Stephen Donnelly: “They spanned most of time I have been in office.”
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In fact, stated to an Oireachtas health committee approximately a week later on the 16th, May, 2022, it was made clear to TD’s asking questions and answers given by those invited to appear (in their case, the Chair of the St Vincents Group), that there was NO meaningful discussion over the last five to six years. Someone has lied either to a committee or to the Dail? Both cannot be the truth. Stephen Donnelly and the government has espoused on RTE, etc, that such talks were ongoing for a long time – and still were “…They spanned most of time I have been in office.” Really? Have they really?
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The government just stopped talking for 5/6 years, surrendering to the demands of a nuns org that also played out a national lie about gifting the land to the state, saying this publicly, while quietly moving it into a further private company setup – before it was further too late for any government to stop them or even ask questions as to what the hell was going on! As there was indeed NO TALKS for 5/6 years, questions on this (and more) were indeed not put. The public’s interest was totally abandoned by the parties involved. The public were left stuffed – and later lied to by TD’s, about the matter.
. - The public will not only fund the likely €1 billion+ hospital to be built – but also will further fund it on a daily basis for years and decades to many come. Take into account they will be funding an also private professional operation setup and daily private service use facility, these facts were most certainly not made clear as the three political parties involved continue to shove this whole scandal down the throats of a nation – as they just state it will be a public hospital too. More inaccurate lies.
. - The three parties of government state they own a “Golden share” in the company controlling the hospital. Really? They own a share of the nun’s private company setup? This will come as news to many? (a) Where is the legal details on this? (b) When have they been disclosed? (c) How did they manage to get this “golden share” and what was the price for this share? (d) Does the government own a 51% share – because if they do not, they (and thus the public interest) can remain overruled on matters. Where are the details on this matter put into the public domain?
. - The government has stated a number of times that the pope and vatical officials were not involved in the matter. They either lied or were/are stupid.
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. - The Sisters of Charity transferred their land asset to a holding company they have sway over. Something government PR spun as “Independent“. This is a holding company that was set up by offshore specialists who just also happen to have links to the Panama Papers and that whole (also buried) scandal. Another scandal you are not allowed to hear or see the full details on – or who is involved. Yes – FF and FG are refusing to disclose those matters too.
…just like the Garda human rights abuses report they won’t disclose.
…just like the Mother and Baby Homes report they deliberately altered, to incorrect report matters and leave out a massive lot.
…just like the prison report they won’t publish.
…just like mega #JobPath scandal they have buried.
…just like the Donegal council corruption report they are keeping buried.
…just like the latest RTE staff report they won’t get the public setup to disclose.
…just like Ansbacher scandal, the golden circle deals, and much, much more.
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It’s now standard FF/FG tactics to try bury as much as possible. Why? Good question! Because they, past or present are up to their necks in related matters? No further explanations are forthcoming. “It’s not in the public’s interest!” we are regular told – but that is also not explained why! What was/is the role of Stembridge Ltd and Porema Ltd connected to other tens of thousands of companies – in establishing the SVH? A deafening silence from the government and the nuns. An unofficial vow of silence? Matter RTE censored too, it seems. O’ you didn’t know about all this? How could you when your elected in government are refusing to disclose full picture details – or any details!
. - To her credit, Roisin Shorthall TD – also on the ball regarding this scandal – has raised some interesting questions too. For example: (a) What is known about the new company, St Vincent’s Holdings (SVH), to which the Govt is handing over control of a €1 billion publicly funded hospital? (b) What conditions did the Vatican attach to this company when they approved it? (c) What exactly will prevent part or all of the company assets of SVH being sold or transferred? (d) Why has the value of SVHG been reduced from €661million in 201Í to €204m currently?
(e) Why is SVH indemnifying the Religious Sisters of Charity past and present – what will this cover and what are the implications for the tax payer? (f) Will the Minister publish the legal framework underpinning the proposed deal? (g) Why is the Minister promoting private medicine over the public interest and embarking on a deal which is at complete variance with Sláintecare?
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Sadly – but not surprisingly, answers are not so forthcoming. More deafening silence. More government ignoring of questions they want to avoid being forced to answer. Fearing exposure of stupidity, incompetency or participation in further questionable activities? You take your pick.
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. - “The Sisters’ shareholding transfer to SVH required three related steps: Vatican approval, registration with the Charities Regulator, and HSE approval (as SVHG is a Section 38 organisation). Eighteen months later, however, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Dublin confirmed in December 2018 that the Sisters had not commenced the Vatican approval process. A further 15 months elapsed before Vatican approval – conditional on the observation of specified canon laws – was issued on March 16th, 2020, adding up to nearly three years of delay on the part of the Sisters of Charity and Rome. Registration of SVH with the Charities Regulator was filed on August 18th, 2020.
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A further delay of 19 months ensued during which the HSE board considered concerns about the ownership and governance arrangements raised by its audit and risk committee. Prof Deirdre Madden and Dr Sarah McLoughlin dissented from the board’s majority decision to grant approval eventually taken on March 14th, 2022. The constitution of St Vincent’s Holdings was only then filed with the Companies Registration Office.
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What has not delayed the process – but in my view should have – are the following: Government approval of the business case for the project (still under review’ after three previous rejections); the outcome of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s audit 011 spending on the project (commenced in August 2021); and scrutiny of the full correspondence between the Sisters of Charity and the Vatican on the terms and conditions for setting up St Vincent’s Holdings. – Yours, etc,”
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Dr Peter Boylan. (LINK)
. - We have been constantly told that a CPO (Compulsory Purchase Order) was not possible – as the three parties stated that the 299 year lease was as good as owning it anyway. We now know that not to be legally true and in fact, the nuns can use the ownership of the land for financial gambling dealings – and they apparently already have. More on that to come. In fact, the CPO against the same org that the government said it cannot do, has already begun elsewhere. There is a compulsory purchase order existing against the same nuns setup. The NTA is compulsorily purchasing land from the nuns to build BusConnects. To quote Brid Smith, Dail Maternity debate: “That has been done, and will be done, without a whimper, but we could not do the same on behalf of the women of Ireland. That is disgraceful.”
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The government has NO PROBLEM issuing CPO’s against many others including Mayo farmers on the behest of Shell corporation or against Ireland people and SME’s so that Green Party demanded bike track could be railroaded in, but when it comes to the Nuns private group and their land asset we desperately need, excuses, excuses, excuses suddenly pour forth… Suspicious? You bet!
. - Dail Debate 17/05/2022.
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Deputy Colm Burke: “This is good title, and clear evidence given to the health committee demonstrates that the State will own the property and that no other interest can mortgage or do anything else with the property without the consent of the HSE, which is getting the lease. That is very important.”
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A few minutes later…
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Deputy Mairéad Farrell: “Twelve years ago, the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General identified some of the key risks posed by this deal. A chapter of its report was called “Protecting the State’s property interest” and identified several alarming details These included the existence of “a fixed charge over the entire St Vincent’s Hospital site” and “a floating charge over all of the undertaking, property and assets of SVHG both present and future”. The Comptroller and Auditor General’s worrying conclusion was that the St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group had “pledged publicly-funded assets in return for bank finance for the development of its private hospital”.
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In other words, the land on which we are going to build this hospital has (already) been used as collateral for other transactions. It was used as collateral to raise debt and for the development of St. Vincent’s private hospital and commercial car park. As a result Bank of Ireland now holds a charge on this land. Therefore, not only is the Government proposing to build our new national maternity hospital on land that we do not even own but the group which owns the land has a charge on it held by Bank of Ireland, which is a potential risk to the State.”
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So, the land that will be future used, is already tied to other private interests? Tied to private interests via a nun’s private setup. This then raises a further question about how the government parties can claim they in fact own the land! They certainly do not – and what’s more, because of any possible outstanding private deals between the nuns setups and other private institutions, they will never be able to be. Full legal truth. All this too has been information buried by three government parties and media siding with them with silence or distraction tactics.
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Sir — The disciplining of two Green TDs for backing a Sinn Féin motion on the National Maternity Hospital has again focused attention on the role of the draconian whip system..While one might justify the cracking of a proverbial whip to push an emergency measure or maybe a Budget through the Dáil, this antiquated and oppressive method of coercing elected representatives to toe the party line is a relic of another political era. Free votes are commonplace in the UK parliament, and the sky doesn’t fall on England if a proposed government measure is defeated. Here, it is rare for a party to recognise a politician has a conscience, quite apart from any political calculations as to what course of action will win a few votes or avoid losing any..The whip system is undemocratic in that it often brings about a voting result that does not reflect public opinion or runs counter to what people want. Given the reluctance of the parties to decommission their whips, I would like to see more TDs defying this legalised bullying when other issues come before the Dáil and the majority view is ignored. Sometimes in politics, as in life generally, you have to do what you know is right as distinct from what is profitable, self-serving or politically expedient..John Fitzgerald,Callan, Co Kilkenny..– Letter in Sunday Independent & Irish Sunday Mail. May 22nd, 2022.
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OPINION:
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A lot of the information above has been deliberately buried, watered down and in many cases totally censored from mass publication.
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The government via it’s top elected, are consistently going on about “availability of services” as if this was the only thing the public was concerned about. It is absolutely not – but that huge fact, is what government and biased media want to keep more hidden. I will say it again – if only to try combat Government distraction tactics being played out on the public through mass media.
– it’s about fixed management by the religious org.
– it’s about never fully owning what the public is paying for.
– it’s about lies, double-standard CPO usage and quiet deals – never mind also, questionable people previous attached to other financial antics, also involved. It’s NOT just about availability of services – as RTE and government would have you brainwashed into thinking.
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Public; “SERVICES… MANAGEMENT… OWNERSHIP”
Government; “SERVICES… SERVICES… SERVICES…”
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Stay distracted. Keep your mouth shut. There nothing at all suspicious here. Move along please…
Sorry – but no. We cannot stay silent. We will not go ‘quietly into the night‘.
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The government are repeatedly saying that all services will be available in the new national maternity hospital – “Availability” is not the same as “Guaranteed“. It’s legally not – and in fact, at other SVG hospital setups they sometimes decline to do what they say, they will permit in the future. Remember: No 18: SVH directors would be committed to “upholding the values and vision” of Mother Mary Aikenhead”.
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We are pouring many state millions into a national hospital that will see it owned by someone else other than the state – and on land that will still not be owned by the state. Leased/loaned is NOT the same as actually legally owned. When legal disputes will happen – and they will – that’s what the courts will fix on, legal points of law. In this case, contract law. Adding further “notes” to them will also have no legal standing. It’s PR hogwash for the masses. Courts will fixate on ground legal technicalities as typed out in a contract/lease. We know this. They know this. They know we know this. We know they know this. The only ones attempting to fudge gray legal areas, are the ones trying to get a political win for themselves or their media supportive mates through TV, radio or newsprint.
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The government however, while banging on about the first matter, remain more tightly lipped about the latter – and that’s before we all then get to question the nuns new “subsidiary” board (even stated as such by RTE), fronting things for their religious org. An org that has still to make full payment to the state, for past intuitional abuses carried out by their numbers in the past.
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Repeating part of what I have stated elsewhere (LINK) “An increasing growth number of people have asked me why the usual dodgy parties in government, are so determined to enter into a complex, odd religious contract with a nuns front organisation, setup with a religious org injecting its own kind on yet another controlling board! A setup with further odd, possible loophole, non-land owning, contract terms. All of which could be avoided if the resolve was there! A massive reason why Fianna Fail is determined to bull ahead with the current farce setup – instead of taking the land needed or relocating elsewhere – is that Fianna Fail in particular, are utterly desperate to gain what they consider to be ‘a win’ during their current government office tenure.
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In the end, if each of the government parties could pull their heads out of the sand or out of their backsides, they would see that the maternity hospital ‘win’ is going to be anything but that! With local elections coming prior to the next general election, more FF, FG and Green Party heads are going to roll. We know it. They know it.
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…But still, the ‘win’ over a national maternity hospital going to turn things around – as far as the government is concerned! Yes, they are so far down ‘a rabbit hole’ of their own making, they cannot turn back. For that inability, the public once again must pay a price – and will continue to do so as long as the government continues in present office. It’s bad enough that they consistently try to fool (and bully) a nation of people, now they are even trying to even fool themselves. That’s how bad things have got to…”
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Lies.
Media antics.
PR Misdirection.
Poor or no accountability.
Questions ducked/ignored.
Undemocratic whip bullying of elected.
Questioners attacked for daring to ask on matters.
On it goes. It’s just another day in the 2020 formed government. If this stuff was happening in any other EU country, it would bring the government down in days! However, this is Ireland, where such highly questionable, highly convoluted antics are now the ‘norm’ and foolishly allowed by those that continue to vote support the culprits or the silent on such matters. It all stinks to high heaven. It’s clearly #TimeForBetter.
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