Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government promised that universal health insurance would "provide guaranteed access to care for all in public and private hospitals". My presumption is that this includes the right to midwifery services. I want the Taoiseach to give us clarity on this if he can. I have just learned that 25 pregnant women have been told that no midwifery services will be available to them because the HSE has revoked midwives' licences. These women have not been informed of alternative arrangements. Does the commitment in the programme for Government include the right of pregnant women to these essential services?

The section of the same programme for Government dealing with passports, citizenship, immigration and asylum promised to "introduce comprehensive reforms of the immigration, residency and asylum systems" and to set out the "rights and obligations in a transparent way". When will the Government fulfil this commitment? There is anything but transparency for these people. I note that an tUachtarán, Michael D. Higgins, was stopped from visiting an asylum accommodation centre recently. Will some of the Government's time be set aside for the Minister to come to the House to explain why the President was barred from visiting asylum accommodation? I have visited the Mosney centre. Some of the people have been there for more than a decade. Will the Government honour its promise to give certainty to these people, to end direct provision and to close the centres associated with it? We should be given an opportunity to listen to an explanation of why the Head of this State was denied the right to visit one of these accommodation centres.

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