Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In relation to Portiuncula, I will revert to the Deputy. I intend to visit that hospital, as well as Galway University Hospital, this month. I hope the Deputy can join me then and we can explore these issues further.

I take the Deputy's point on the importance of these appointments. It is really important that the posts are filled as quickly as possible and I am satisfied that the Saolta group is going about doing that. As I said, the interviews are under way for one and the post of director of midwifery is now advertised.

I have been assured by the Saolta group that all of the local recommendations arising from the HSE patient safety review and all of the coroner's applicable local recommendations have either been implemented or are subject to an implementation plan where ongoing implementation is occurring. I will ask the HSE and the Saolta group to revert to the Deputy with more specific information on each of those actions.

The department of obstetrics and gynaecology at University Hospital Galway serves the population of Galway city and county, but also the surrounding areas of Roscommon, north Clare and south Mayo. It provides a range of general and specialist gynaecology and maternity services, including feto-maternal medicine for high risk pregnancies, while also catering for low-risk pregnant women. It provides a wide range of services, including fertility outpatient services. The unit has a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit following a major refurbishment project in 2011. The department is also a partner with the CervicalCheck programme and runs a busy colposcopy service.

I look forward to visiting it and having a chance, at first hand, to see these services and to be updated that all of these recommendations are well under way, as I have been assured they are. I will ask the HSE to revert to the Deputy with specific information on the status of each of those recommendations.

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