Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. I take the Minister of State at her word that there is no embargo on the recruitment of front-line staff in maternity hospitals in particular. If that is the case, I ask if she will enlighten us as to the reason for the log-jam. None of the 19 maternity hospitals has the best practice standard of the ratio of midwives to births, which is one midwife for 29.5 births. A total of 25 babies a day are being delivered in CUMH. According to a report in the local paper yesterday, it would take an additional 60 staff to bring the number of staff to the international standard ratio.

Is a recruitment campaign currently under way to recruit an adequate number of midwives to provide the maternity hospitals with the best ratio? I presume the HSE report will investigate staffing levels and also take a holistic view of maternity services to include safety and best practice. If the report is to be published before the end of the year, I ask the Minister of State to give a commitment that its recommendations will be implemented as quickly as possible if fiscal constraints permit. As the Minister of State said, having a baby is one of the most anxious times for women when they are most vulnerable. We must ensure that reassurance about resources or information can be provided to women who are pregnant and are patients in maternity hospitals and that all safety standards are being met at all times.

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