Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their in-depth statements. The report covered a wide range of issues and I found parts of it very bleak and challenging. The witnesses spoke about a well-educated staff and people being enticed to work outside the country. Some staff have told me they have not only left because they want to go away but because they want to become consultants and find it very hard to do so here and have to go away and do many other things before they can come back, so I suppose getting on the rung of the ladder is important.

The witnesses spoke about the historical reporting of maternity care in the country. It is an historical thing. As the witnesses said, there are many holes in the system, but that has not just happened in recent years. For a long time there has been a lack of joined-up thinking and a lack of funding.

I believe in the idea of the co-location of hospitals and particularly training hospitals. I ask Dr. Sheehan for her views on the proposed location of the new national children's hospital on the St. James's Hospital campus and the proposed location of the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital on that site. It probably will not happen very soon. I would be interested to hear her thoughts on that given that I live quite close to it.

I am the mother of four girls, three of whom have babies - I have three grandchildren. During all their pregnancies they got excellent care in the community from their GP and particularly from the local nurses, etc. The idea of visiting the hospital and then visiting one's community care is very important. I agree with the witnesses that if we are to help people, particularly in the early stages of pregnancy and particularly young people right across the board, regardless of whether they have medical issues, it is the place to do so. It is very important to invest heavily in community care.

As a mother, I know that going into labour for the first time is a terrifying experience. In the long run when a pregnant woman goes in behind the hospital doors she is completely in the hands of the staff and dependent on the quality of staff. It is not always about the medical care, it is about people just being there for her and doing the normal things that nurses do such as holding her hand and bringing her through the stages of her pregnancy. We do not appreciate the quality of the people in hospitals, not just nurses but other people working in the hospitals even down to the people who give out the tea in the evening. The camaraderie they show in speaking to people and looking at the babies is very important. In that respect, I believe our hospitals are unique.

My only question was on co-location and the possibility of the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital being located on the site. I thank the witnesses for taking time out of their busy schedules to come here and present to us. I will go away more enlightened this morning. I am a member of a Government party and we certainly have not fixed many things in health. However, I think we are going in the right direction when we have reports such as this and we can understand what people have to deal with in hospitals, particularly the witnesses.