asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to compel Dublin hospitals to refute their charter; if he is satisfied with the existing terms of the charters of all existing Dublin hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dublin Hospitals Charters.
12.
As the Deputy is aware, plans for a major rationalisation of hospital services in the Dublin area have been agreed and are being implemented. These plans involve the amalgamation of services provided at present by a number of voluntary hospitals into new and developed hospitals. This amalgamation necessitates a review of the legal issues including charters of the hospitals involved and this is being carried out at the moment.
Is the Minister aware that a young lady, a constituent of mine, had an application for employment turned down on the basis of her religion because the Dublin hospital concerned said that their charter prohibited them from giving her an application form because of her religion? Will the Minister undertake to ensure that that hospital will have its charter changed forthwith? I raised this matter with the Minister by way of letter and I tried to raise it in the House on a few occasions. It is a very serious matter for the young lady concerned.
I am acutely aware of the points made by the Deputy. The amendment to the charter of that hospital was approved by both Houses of the Oireachtas in 1980 but that did not alter the statement of fundamental principle that the hospital should "remain an essentially religious and Protestant institution". The authority of the hospital consider that they are acting within the terms of the charter in relation to the recruitment of student nurses to their nursing school. They have made the point, as a matter of some sensitivity, that certain elements of nurse training vary between different denominations, particularly in the area of ethics. The Hospitals Federation and Amalgamation Act, 1961, states that the Central Council of the Federated Dublin Voluntary Hospitals, of which this hospital is a member, shall take no action which operates to interfere with the autonomy of a nursing school attached to a particular hospital of a particular denominational character. There are major implications in what I have said in the context of amalgamation. There will be an examination of the legal issues involved, including the charters.
It is very good of the Minister to give such a detailed reply but it does not do anything for the young lady concerned. I did not mention that it was a Protestant hospital, the Minister did——
I did not mention a hospital.
The Minister mentioned that it was a Protestant hospital——
Yes, I did.
If the shoe was on the other foot and a person of a minority religion was denied similar access I would be fighting the case also. Is the Minister satisfied that this should happen and will he take steps, whether it applies to Catholics, Protestants, Jews or members of any other religion, to ensure that people are not denied application forms on the basis of their religion?
Both Houses of the Oireachtas approved the amendment to the charter of the hospital concerned in 1980. Whether the approval given at the time was constitutional is a matter which will fall to be determined in another setting. The Employment Equality Act deals only with discrimination on the grounds of sex or marital status in regard to access to training or employment.
Will the Minister take steps to ensure that the girl gets an application form?
I can only act in accordance with statute. I will be examining the charter of the new hospital in Tallaght because it will have to take into account——
I have given a certain amount of latitude but we cannot have a long discussion on this matter.
Will the Minister give the House an assurance that when he is renewing the charters he will remove any reference to religious discrimination and, in particular, will he take the matter up with the hospital concerned and ask them to voluntarily change their charter?
The amalgamation for the new hospital will involve a review of the hospital charters concerned and I have no doubt that that review will include the changed circumstances that now prevail.
The Minister and the Deputy are ignoring the Chair, they should go outside and finish their conversation there.
I am sorry but the Minister is ignoring the lady in question. I should like to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
The Chair will communicate with the Deputy.