Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)

I thank the witnesses very much for coming here today. I have read their reports. They are full of useful information. As a Senator based in County Louth – a Border region – it is difficult for me to know whether it is a great thing or not for the rest of the country because I realise there is a little more reliance on cross-Border healthcare from the likes of some of the Border counties. It is probably serendipitous that the two witnesses here today are women because I wish to ask some questions about women’s healthcare. Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, where I live, is the de facto regional hospital in all but name. The maternity services there are always under serious pressure as it is the regional hospital for Cavan, Monaghan and a lot of the wider area. Are there any plans to include maternity and neonatal services in any further cross-Border healthcare initiatives?