Ms Laverne McGuinness:

The member asked why 16 nursing staff had only now gone in and if this had not been addressed beforehand. Staffing in Portlaoise was addressed on a number of occasions. As members are aware, a moratorium was introduced in 2009, under which nursing staff could not be replaced. However, in October 2010 Portlaoise hospital was short particularly in its midwife staff and staff in the special care baby unit. In October 2010 five additional midwives were sanctioned for nursing staff at the special care baby unit. They went in between February and March 2011 because it takes a period of time to recruit.

Again at the time, members will recall the grace period when there was a large exit from the public sector based on troika agreements. That was supposed to be based on a non-replacement policy in order to deliver the amount of money that was required for Government at the time, but we carried out a risk assessment particularly regarding maternity services at Portlaoise. At that time we asked the hospital to carry out a risk assessment with its clinical director, nursing director and regional director of operations. Based on the number of staff that were due to leave at that time, seven midwives were replaced as were one nursing staff member in the special care baby unit, two nursing staff in the emergency department and one obstetrician. The hospital clinically and risk-assessed it at the time, and that was the staffing that was required. There was certainly a dip in staffing levels but these have improved significantly since 2013. We have statistics on that.