Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I have no doubt that both sides are well intentioned and hold sincere and firm views. The categories of women for whom community midwives will provide care can be addressed when we consider the criteria for a service level agreement. This issue must be considered. We cannot confine choices to women who are not at any risk. Other women also want to have choices.

Community midwives are different from other health professionals for many reasons, including, for instance, that they perform what in recent years has come to be viewed as a hospital based procedure. Our attitude to this issue will change, depending on how we dispose of this legislation. Frightening women into hospitals is a bad idea because child birth should be as natural as possible. However, we must insist that people are insured in circumstances in which an expectant mother is isolated and something can go wrong.

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