Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As parents ourselves we are very conscious that delivering a baby is the most vulnerable time in any woman's life and the most anxious time for any family.

I refer to recent incidents which took place in Portlaoise and we should also extend our sympathies to people who have lost much longed-for babies. We all feel that loss.

With regard to the issue raised by the Deputy, I wish to make it clear that there is no embargo on the recruitment of midwives or other front-line staff in the public health service. While the numbers employed across the public health service must be reduced in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets, it is recognised that certain services such as maternity are demand-led and require specialist staffing. The HSE has arrangements in place to allow the recruitment of such staff where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement. I am satisfied that it is open to the HSE to recruit the levels of front-line staff necessary to ensure a safe service provision. More generally, in order to mitigate the impact on front-line services of the reduction in employment numbers, the priority is to reform how health services are delivered in order to ensure a more productive and cost-efficient health system.

At the end of 2013 the number of staff midwives, including senior staff grade in the public health service, was 1,341 whole-time equivalents, including 20 on the graduate placement scheme. At the end of 2007 the number was 933 whole-time equivalents. This shows how the HSE has the capacity to focus recruitment in specific areas where increases are required. The increase in nursing hours available under the Haddington Road agreement equates to nearly 1,400 additional nurses. The number of nursing staff increased by 100 in the first month of 2014, reflecting the take-up of posts under the graduate initiative.

In the case of staffing levels at Cork University Maternity Hospital, I have been informed by the HSE that from a staff complement of 397 whole-time equivalents, currently 388 midwifery nurses are employed. I understand that active recruitment processes are in place to fill the nursing midwifery posts, including 7.5 gynaecological nursing posts and two assistant directors of midwifery.

I draw the attention of Members to a midwifery workload and workforce review of maternity services in Ireland which will be undertaken by the HSE. This review will validate staffing levels for midwives and maternity care assistants in maternity units and will recommend appropriate midwifery staffing and skill mix levels and initiatives to meet emerging models of maternity care in order to ensure standards of safety and quality of care for women and their families. The workforce review will inform the new national maternity services strategy and as part of the development of the strategy, maternity services in all parts of the country will be subject to review and evaluation. The development of this strategy is under way and will determine the optimal configuration of maternity services to ensure that women in Ireland have access to safe, high quality maternity care in a setting most appropriate to their needs. I intend to publish the strategy later this year.

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