Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am always brief, as the Chairman knows. I thank our guests for coming before us this morning and offering their advice and responses. In respect of midwifery and nursing in general, obesity in women's health has already been referred to. I presume the witnesses have a programme in mind to alert young women and young people in general to warnings about their health and obesity, which is an increasing problem. What is in hand? Is it being done through the schools, particularly secondary schools?

The issue of recruitment has come up on several occasions. Sadly, I have put down thousands of questions over the past ten years. Nobody has adequately answered the question about why we have such a problem with recruitment in the health services at nursing and consultant level and even at GP level. Is there any advice the witnesses would give us and the Department about the problem because they deal with it at first hand? What is the problem here? Does it apply in other jurisdictions. Does it affect them in the same way and if not, why not? It is not that I wish to in any way encourage some of the difficulties they have here. We take the point about gynaecology services and inclusion in the strategy. Presumably, we will take this up with the Minister to ensure that we have the most comprehensive report possible. Recruitment comes up again and again. It has been said that the positions are not attractive. Why are they not attractive? Again, it applies to all levels. An interesting point was made by Dr. Boylan to the effect that only one person applied for a position and subsequently withdrew.

That has been happening in regard to the appointment of general practitioners to fill spaces at local level.

I do not want to labour my next point but it is very important. There is a certain amount of stress in the health services arising from litigation and various other circumstances. It appears the general public has concluded that if things had been done in a different fashion, some litigation might not have occurred. Altogether apart from litigation, there is the question of the health of the victims, be they women or children. Could the delegates give us some indication as to what could or should have been done in this regard bearing in mind the number of cases with which they are very familiar? What procedures and fail-safe measures could have been put in place to try to prevent some of the events that occurred? I will not go into individual cases. I have dealt with a number of them and I am sure every other member of the committee has done so also. To respect people's privacy, I would not dream of mentioning the cases. I am concerned, however, about some of the matters that have been brought to my attention that should not have arisen. I refer in particular to the matter of early diagnosis for newborn babies. As Professor Boylan has already said, things can and do happen very quickly. Do the delegates have any advice or information that might be helpful to us in our discussions with the Minister to try to lift the burden of pressure on the health services? Fear of litigation arises where things do not happen as they should and when they should, with obvious consequences.