Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

It is the HSE, consultant staff and the midwifery management, not people out on the streets or any individual member of staff, who are the people who make the call. The HSE, the consultant staff in the hospital and the midwifery management were completely satisfied, and that is the issue. It is not Deputy Ó Caoláin's function or my function. The people with responsibility, the people in management positions who are paid for management positions, which Deputy Ó Caoláin obviously has a difficulty with — I am not getting into that — are the ones who made the call.

The HSE went to the Labour Court. The Labour Court issued its recommendation As always, I am consistent on that and stand over the recommendation. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, acted honourably throughout.

The INO cited that there were insufficient staff — I have already given the reason in that regard. The INO also sought relocation payments of €3,000 and €5,000, and additional promotional posts. The relocation payments claim was rejected by the Labour Court, but it did recommend an additional one day's leave be granted on a once-off basis and that was accepted by the HSE.

Deputy Ó Caoláin asked about the additional posts. The HSE has created 146 midwifery nursing posts for the new Cork University Maternity Hospital, which is the best ratio in the country, and when it is fully operational there will be 375. As I stated, the midwives and nurses are rostered on a basis that is well known.

Obviously, it is an industrial relations matter and it is not for me to give my personal view on these issues. It is a matter of fulfilling a Labour Court recommendation. I hope the matter will be resolved so this state-of-the-art facility can be opened as soon as possible.

See this speech in context