I have lost count of the number of times my colleagues and I have raised the issue of the national maternity hospital. Specifically, what progress has been made in acquiring the site and taking it into public ownership so that a national public hospital can be built on a site owned by the public? We have passed three motions. On the last occasion, the Taoiseach said that motions do not build hospitals. When motions are unanimously accepted in Dáil Éireann, as these motions have been, they tell the Taoiseach what the Dáil wants. In that context, what progress has been made to acquire the site?

Progress has been made in getting this issue resolved, in ensuring we build a national maternity hospital because current conditions are unacceptable for women who attend the current facility and, given the State investment, in ensuring the State will control the policy and ethos of the hospital itself. I do not have the full details yet but I hope the Minister will be coming to the Cabinet soon with a memorandum that we can then bring before the House.