Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Roche, Ms Murphy and Ms Cregan for sharing their phenomenal stories with us. It is amazing how ignorant we can be, or certainly I am, of things of which we should be aware.

I will be proposing, as I am sure the rest of the committee would do, that the day be acknowledged as an official day.

What are the costs of running the organisation and from where does Féileacáin get its support? Apart from the acknowledgement of having an official day, what kind of supports should the State, through the HSE or whatever, provide to assist Féileacáin to continue its excellent work? The witnesses also said the organisation is giving out 860 boxes this year and there are 500 stillbirths. What are the other statistics for infant mortality in terms of babies dying shortly after birth or being stillborn?