Dr Ciara Kelly has spoken out against the decision to hand sole ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital to the religious group Sisters of Mercy.
Speaking on Alive And Kicking, Dr Kelly said it was not reasonable for the hospital to be owned by the nuns given the group has an outstanding debt of €2 million to the redress scheme.
"It's a failure to show remorse, and it's a failure to show atonement," she said. "This is a bad idea and there's no reason for it.
"Something else needs to be cobbled together for it."
She also argued that, considering the large budget for the hospital's build, the decision yo grant ownership to the group was "financial stupidity".
"We should not be spending €300 million on a hospital and not owning it."
It was an echo of her sentiments shared on The Late Late Show last night, adding that there was a "huge anger" among the public.
"The big thing is about the ethos. There is a long history of conflict between the Church and providing women's health in this country. The church does not approve of contraception, sterilisation, IVF, egg-freezing.
"It's not acceptable that women have to continue to fight for healthcare in this country, and if you make the nuns the owners of the National Maternity Hospital, there is going to be points of conflict."
.@ciarakellydoc gives her view on the National Maternity Hospital pic.twitter.com/y1mK94jVMW
— Jack Quann (@jqbilbao) April 21, 2017
Review
Following mounting pressure, a review is to be carried out into the status of the new National Maternity Hospital.
The chairman of St Vincent's Healthcare Group, Jimmy Menton, said the review was due to "controversy and misinformation" regarding the project.
Minister for Health Simon Harris has claimed the group would receive no financial gain from the new hospital - and pledged to ensure the facility will remain entirely independent in terms of its clinical, operational, budgetary and financial operations.
