Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleagues, I would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Glynn and his team for all the work they have done over the past year or so. I wish to first ask about the stillbirths that have been connected with Covid. We know that seven cases of coronavirus-related infection of the placenta have been detected here in Ireland. Unfortunately, that resulted in six stillbirths and one baby being delivered by emergency C-section. I believe that these seven cases make up one third of the global cases. Do the witnesses have a view on why that rate of Covid-related stillbirth is happening in Ireland? Why is it being detected here and not being detected in other countries?

It is a very unusual pattern. On that point, will the Department make any recommendations regarding the vaccination of pregnant women or any other measures that should be put in place given these very worrying findings?