The board of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group (SVHG) has said no “vested interest” will veto procedures at the new national maternity hospital (NMH), that is to be built on the grounds of St Vincent’s, Elm Park.

This means all medical procedures permitted in Irish law, including elective abortions, will be provided for.

St Vincent’s was founded by the Sisters of Charity in 1834.

It is not clear whether the values underpinning St Vincents—human dignity, compassion, justice, quality and advocacy—or the Christian values that inspired the work of Sr Mary Aikenhead, will have any bearing on what procedures are carried out.

The SVHG healthcare group comprises St Vincent’s University Hospital and St Vincent’s Private Hospital at Elm Park in Dublin, as well as St Michael’s hospital, Dún Laoghaire. All are owned by the Sisters of Charity, who have had no role at the hospital group since 2017 when their representatives resigned from its board.

Earlier this month it was announced that the Vatican had approved a decision by the Sisters “to transfer the entire issued share capital of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group to St Vincent’s Holdings for the nominal sum of €1”.

Dr Peter Boylan, life governor and former master at the National Maternity Hospital, asked whether the Sisters will transfer their property, assets and services into a Vatican-approved entity known as a public juridic person of pontifical right. This, he said, would oblige them to submit an annual ‘stewardship accountability report’ to the Vatican. “It is hard to see how such a report could include the numbers of elective sterilisations, abortions and artificial fertilisation procedures carried out in the hospital in the year, and continue to be approved by the Vatican,” he added.