Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Professor Turner said:

We still have one of the lowest maternal mortality ratios in the world. Having said that, there can be no room for complacency. My concern is that unless we prioritise maternity services we will see in the future an increase in maternal deaths if we cut maternity resources too much - that is the price that will be paid.

And then what usually happens is there is a crisis and a knee-jerk response. We could face the same danger with our perinatal mortality rates.

He said the health service recruitment embargo had hit maternity care as it had other areas of the service. I fail to see how the Minister finds all of this humorous.

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