Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the publication of the report and thank the families for highlighting the issue and forcing action to be taken. Other members have raised the issue of staffing levels being extremely low, particularly with regard to midwives. Has the reason for this been identified, as the report does not seem to indicate it? Why were levels so low and why did vacancies continue? Is it a continuing issue within the hospital system, as I am sure there are plenty of qualified people out there? Were qualified people not prepared to work there? What is the turnover of staff? The report did not deal with the numbers passing through over the past six to seven years.

The second issue relates to medical consultants. The birth rate has gone from approximately 1,000 births to in excess of 2,000 births per year, meaning there is one consultant for every 800 deliveries approximately. I understand in some English hospitals the recommended ratio is one consultant to 350 or 400 deliveries, so we are at double that rate. There are three consultants and six registrars in the facility. They operate a so-called one in three call, which is being on call every day, every third night and every third weekend. Every third weekend the consultant would be on call from 9 a.m. on Friday to 5 p.m. on Monday, and we have withdrawn rest days in some units. There would have been a rest day for each weekend worked but they have been withdrawn. We are talking about understaffing in real terms but we have withdrawn a rest day provision for people working those kinds of hours. What is the current position of the Department and the HSE in that regard?

One of the big complaints I have heard from both nurses and other medical practitioners concerns turnover of managerial staff, but the report does not deal with how many different people were in charge of management between 2005 to the current time in the hospital. If the same people are not in charge, new people must start over and issues get put to one side.

I came across a case where a death occurred in a hospital but 18 months later a coroner's inquest had not been held. In fairness, the hospital did everything by the book and contacted the State Claims Agency to investigate if pressure could be put on the coroner to hold an inquest. The families were concerned about a potential cover-up because the inquest had not been held. There was no reason given by the coroner for not holding the inquest. What are we doing about that and ensuring inquests are held in a timely manner for everybody concerned, including hospital staff, medical and managerial people and, most important, the families involved?