The Religious Sisters of Charity have confirmed they are gifting land to a new healthcare trust so that the new National Maternity Hospital can be built there. The hospital will be performing abortions under the liberal Irish law. The announcement comes after they received approval from the Holy See to relinquish the property.

St Vincent’s hospital, also at the Blackrock, Co Dublin site, will also be transferred to the trust.

The body is a new, independent, charitable body to be called St Vincent’s Holdings CLG.  The new company will be a “not for profit” organisation. The company has stated that it will not be subject to any religious influence and will not have any Board members drawn from religious bodies.

In July 2017, the Religious Sisters of Charity stepped down from the Board of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group.  In a statement, the Sisters said, “In 1834, Mary Aikenhead, Foundress of the Religious Sisters of Charity established the first hospital in Ireland that freely admitted the sick and the poor, irrespective of their race, creed or ability to pay”.

“Today, marks the final movement towards completion of all legal, financial and regulatory matters involved in the transfer of the Sisters’ 186-year involvement in the hospital”.

The National Maternity Hospital spokesman said the hospital was “hugely appreciative of the role played by the Sisters of Charity in healthcare in Ireland over two centuries, culminating in the release of these hugely valuable healthcare assets”.