Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The national examination of maternity services arose from a number of high profile, tragic cases. The Minister was in order in saying we needed to see the highest standards applied in maternity units throughout the country in order to maintain Ireland's reputation as one of the safest countries in the world in which to give birth. For that reason, it is very important that mothers-to-be understand medical care, facilities and safety are of the highest order. Before the recent elections, one would have assumed, according to what I was hearing, that we planned to close maternity services in Letterkenny, Sligo, Mayo and at Portiuncula, leaving the entire west and north west with one centre for the provision of maternity services, Galway hospital.

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