Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I extend my sympathy to the families and relatives of those involved in this case and other similar cases. I also acknowledge the hard-working staff in the maternity units in hospitals around the country. This is causing a lot of grief, particularly to those in Portlaoise hospital.

The Minister should not have to be here today. Why is the Minister in the Chamber? He is here because we have a flawed system, one that includes a policy of silence and obstruction. We are dealing not with the Charles Dickens era but with the post-Celtic-tiger era, yet our institutions have learned nothing. The Minister should not have to be here because the issue should have been dealt with by the HSE in the first instance. Notwithstanding the tragic circumstances, the family should have received satisfaction on the day.

I have three questions I would like the Minister to answer. When did he first become aware of the issue? The most disturbing aspect of the programme was the HSE representative speaking about Portlaoise having a relatively good record. How many similar cases exist around the country, where families are going through the same difficulties with other maternity units? Will the Minister give a commitment to publish a list of all child deaths during childbirth over the past ten years and the hospitals in which they occurred? Many of these happen for reasons beyond anyone's control, but it is important to realise the extent of the issue. It is terrible to come in here after every crisis. There was a hullabaloo about the CRC and top-ups but newspapers wrote that the Department of Health was aware of it two years ago. We do not deal with these issues. The policy of silence, frustration and obstruction has us in the Chamber today. When did the Minister become aware of the issue? Are there similar cases out there? Will the Minister commit to publishing a list of all child deaths in hospitals over the past ten years?

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