Sir, – Jennifer Bray recently outlined a series of outstanding questions about the governance of the proposed new National Maternity Hospital ("Q&A: Why is the National Maternity Hospital moving and why are people concerned?", News, May 31st). As she has indicated, many of us still have real concerns about the prospect of religious bodies retaining some influence over the ethos and medical practice of the new hospital. The question remains why an explicit guarantee of independence cannot be made in the contract governing establishment of this new hospital; this is the key issue which the Minister for Health must now address. – Yours, etc,
Senator IVANA BACIK,
Seanad Éireann,
Dublin 2.