Ms Edel Browne:

We all absorb folic acid differently, including people who are overweight or have a history of diabetes or neural tube defects in their family. Medication for epilepsy sufferers can counter indicate how they absorb folic acid. There are numerous ways in which the body absorbs folic acid that put women at a higher risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect.

Deputy Ó Caoláin also asked whether we should wait until the new paediatric hospital is in place to instate the consultant urologist. I would say definitely not because that is far down the line. Going on current statistics, on average, one baby is born every week with spina bifida in this country. That is too high a risk to take with these babies. We cannot risk these babies having irreversible kidney damage, and, therefore, we have to be proactive. We are taking a chance with the 300 babies who are there at this stage. Add a baby who will be born this week, next week and the week after and every week for another three or four years before a new hospital is in place. The funding is there; it has been prioritised since 2009. It is sitting there in the HSE and we need to act immediately.

Senator Burke said that six posts were filled this year. We brought that up at our meeting with the HSE on 29 February and he is correct that the reason our post was not filled is becuase it is a specialised post. The HSE was prioritising a person in England who turned down this post.