Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. Unfortunately, we had the very tragic case of Tania McCabe in Drogheda who died in 2007. At that time national guidelines were drawn up with regard to sepsis. Only five of the 19 maternity hospitals are currently implementing those guidelines as has been highlighted in this report. We then had the tragic case in Galway. While the Tánaiste talks about governance structures and local management, the report also consistently refers to the Department of Health so it is not just an issue of pointing to local managements and saying they must do better. Of course they must do better but they must also be resourced. The report is clear and definitive in pointing out that resourcing is a key issue in ensuring the safety of maternity services. While it refers to governance and accountability, the key point is that resourcing is paramount in the delivery of maternity services.

The Tánaiste also said that following the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar, we do not need another audit. However, we need to insist and ensure this report is implemented in full. We have had a previous report and only five of the 19 maternity hospitals implemented its recommendations. What commitment can the Tánaiste give today to ensure that at some stage in the future every recommendation in the report will be implemented in full? While it states that the HSE must implement, it also states that the Department of Health must implement. That does not exonerate political people; it puts political people directly responsible for the implementation of the report. That includes all facets, including resources.

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