Attempts to “demonise” the Sisters of Charity over the National Maternity Hospital are unfair because it agreed to gift the site on which the hospital will be built in a “selfless act”, the Tánaiste has said.

In 2020, the Religious Sisters of Charity announced their intention “to gift to the Irish people” 29 acres of land at the St Vincent’s Hospital site and 3.2 acres of land at St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoghaire. The value of those lands is approximately €200 million. The land is under a new independent charity, St Vincent’s Holdings.

The charity would then lease the land to the State for 99 years, with the option of a 50 year extension.

Nonetheless, criticisms have been that somehow the congregation will still try to maintain a pro-life ethos at the hospital.

“The Sisters of Charity have expressed a willingness to gift that site,” Leo Varadkar said. “Gifting it to a charity, I think that’s a very good and selfless act by them. They are withdrawing from healthcare.”

He added: “I think there is an attempt here by some people to demonise the religious here, and that is actually unfair. The archbishop [of Dublin] wants off the board of Holles Street.”

Varadkar said the Sisters of Charity had already removed themselves from the board of St Vincent’s Hospital. He added that the government would prefer to buy the land outright for the new hospital rather than lease it.