Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Last Thursday evening an episode of "Prime Time Investigates", entitled "Fatal Failures", revealed a disturbing and unacceptable situation relating to the preventable deaths of four newborn babies over a period of six years. There were similarities between the deaths and reports were produced in respect of each fatality. I sympathise with the parents of the babies who died - unnecessarily, in my view - at Portlaoise hospital.

What shocked viewers of the programme was not only the manner of the care and the manner in which the babies died, but also the shocking way that the parents were treated subsequently by hospital management and HSE officials.

It is clear that there was secrecy in what was revealed to the parents. There was an unacceptable degree of obfuscation - of deliberately withholding the truth. Shockingly, in one case, we are looking at a two-year delay in letting the parents know that a report had been carried out into the death of their baby. In another case, the delay is up to five years. These parents never realised that a report had been carried out by the hospital which would have at least explained to some extent the why of what happened and could have helped the parents in dealing with a very tragic situation. It was only when Roisin Molloy heard Shauna Keyes describe her son Joshua's death that they came in contact. Shauna said it was like somebody lit a bulb in her head, such were the similarities of both their experiences.

There is the failure to implement the recommendations of reports into previous deaths at the hospital. These recommendations, if implemented, could have saved the lives of those babies who subsequently died. There were similarities in CTG tracings and an inappropriate use of drugs.

The point I want to make to the Taoiseach - I do this in a non-political way - is that in a situation like this we need to learn and a fully independent inquiry is called for. I do not believe health authorities can investigate themselves in situations such as this. I would ask him to ensure that a fully transparent inquiry independent of the health authorities would be carried out and that subsequently a wider review of maternity practice in the country would also be initiated and conducted.

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