John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This is very useful. The committee has had pretty comprehensive discussions under the stewardship of the Chair. A specific question was raised by a witness last Thursday who asked whether there would be an irresistible pressure on the Government of the day or hospital management of the day to state spare beds in the new national maternity hospital would be used for other purposes if St. Vincent's University Hospital and its emergency department came under pressure and there was spillover. My interpretation is that this would not be possible because it would not be clinically appropriate to the new national maternity hospital.

Dr. Rhona O'Mahony made the point that the budget for women's health is often at the bottom of the health budget and too easily conceded to other issues. Very often women's health issues become secondary issues. The budgeting is also ring-fenced. I assume this speaks to clinical appropriateness. What Mr. Reid is saying is that every service to be carried out in the national maternity hospital will be appropriate to its range of services, and that when it comes to spillover or if the emergency department is absolutely crowded a Minister or the Cabinet cannot say free beds in the national maternity hospital would need to be released.