Thursday, 3rd June 2021: There is much public discussion in relation to the Religious Sisters of Charity and whether we are still, or will be involved in the management of St Vincent’s Hospital, the new maternity hospital or the new independent charity set up to take over the ownership of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group from the Religious Sisters of Charity. The answer is no. The Religious Sisters of Charity have no involvement now and will not have any future role in the management of St Vincent’s Hospital. We will have no role, whatsoever, in St Vincent’s Healthcare Group, the new independent charity or the new maternity hospital.
We withdrew our Sisters from the Board of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group four years ago. Our legal documents to transfer the ownership of St Vincent’s Healthcare Group to the new independent charity are ready. We have done everything in our power to expedite the transfer to the new independent charity, St Vincent’s Holdings, and we call on the other parties involved, including the Minister for Health, to take all actions necessary to facilitate the completion of the transfer as soon as possible.
In 2017, the Religious Sisters of Charity took the decision to end our involvement in St Vincent’s Healthcare Group. In 2020, we announced our intention to gift to the Irish people 29 acres of land at the St Vincent’s Hospital site and 3.2 acres of land at St Michael’s Hospital, Dun Laoghaire. The value of those lands is approximately Euro 200 million. The ownership of the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group, which owns the lands, will be transferred by the Religious Sisters of Charity to the new independent charity, St Vincent’s Holdings.
The Religious Sisters of Charity own one building on the St Vincent’s Hospital site which is and will remain leased to St Vincent’s Healthcare Group. This will provide income for the continuing work of the Religious Sisters of Charity and the care of our elderly Sisters.
In 1834, Mary Aikenhead, Foundress of the Religious Sisters of Charity established the first hospital in Ireland that freely admitted the sick and the poor, irrespective of their race, creed or their ability to pay. Mary Aikenhead’s values were ‘dignity, compassion, justice, quality and advocacy’- values that are not owned by any religion or secular organisation and are adhered to by those who respect everyone in their care.