Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I commend Deputy Reilly for bringing this motion before the House and I am glad to have the opportunity to support it.

It is wrong that people have to go public in order to get a response from the HSE. Were it not for the 12 women who came forward and the 300 others who went to the HSE to report their stories all of this would have been swept under the carpet. The contribution made by a Fianna Fáil Deputy some moments ago was outrageous. He said the situation was not unique to Ireland but happens all over the world. That is typical of what a response from the HSE would say. When the story broke the HSE stated that the wrong diagnosis of miscarriage given at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda was extremely rare. If 312 people have come forward already how many others are there who have had that devastating experience but are keeping it under wraps? That is the tragedy.

For this reason it is very important that we support the particular proposal made by Deputy Reilly, which calls on the Government to establish a dedicated, independent patient safety authority that will incorporate HIQA and give reassurance to patients who have suffered with this devastating news. It is important that an internal investigation, through HIQA, is not deemed to be acceptable. I hope the Government and the Minister accept that.

There is one exception to the many centres which have misdiagnosed in the past. Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe is that exception. The hospital has a well established and long-standing tradition and reputation in providing maternity services to the highest standard in the country. It is also one of the busiest hospitals. In the past five years, on average it has recorded a 9% increase in births each year, from 2,1080 in 2008, to 2, 229 in 2009. From all indications at present this trend of increase continues.

Portiuncula Hospital's maternity unit is a centre of excellence, a title earned as a result of its good practice and excellent professional staff. It has an ethos of care, friendliness, comfort and reliability. These qualities are not always available in the other centres.

I call on the Minister of State or the Minister for Health and Children to give an unequivocal assurance tonight that the maternity services will continue at Portiuncula into the future, and that the unpublished report commissioned by the HSE regarding the reconfiguration of maternity services will not be implemented as reported. It was reported that a new maternity centre for the midlands at Tullamore will encroach on the catchment area of Portiuncula and that will provide an excuse for the reconfiguration to continue. This includes the Minister of State's own maternity unit in Portlaoise, which probably will be brought to Dublin or some place like that. I ask that this report, which is currently under wraps, be published and that its implementation not take place as reported.

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