Sisters of charity to give up ownership of new national maternity hospital

The Religious Sisters of Charity have announced they will give up ownership of the St Vincent's Hospital Group - including any stake in the new National Maternity Hospital.

The nuns have confirmed they will give up their stake in the group and transfer it to a new charity, simply known as St Vincent's. The charity will be run in the short term by a new board of directors drawn from the St Vincent's Hospital Group, but a new independent board is to be appointed within 12 months. The sisters have said the new charity's board "will not be subject to undue influence by individuals or from any source". The news comes a day after the Health Minister Simon Harris said he would bring proposals to Cabinet about the ownership of the new maternity hospital this week.