Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will do my best. The issue in Mayo has been referred to the Workplace Relations Commission and I hope everyone involved will use all available mechanisms to resolve the dispute. People do not take these decisions lightly but it is in everybody's interests, including those of women, that this issue be resolved as quickly as possible.

I accept the thrust of what Deputy Clare Daly is saying. There is so much more we need to do in maternity services. I ask the Deputy to believe that this is a project on which I will work with everyone and anyone in this House in order to ensure that we deliver. There have been generations of neglect in the context of investment in our maternity services. It is not that we have done nothing since the maternity strategy was published in January. We have seen the extra 100 midwives, which the Deputy has welcomed. We have seen the publication of the bereavement standards and HIQA is about to publish the national standards. We should not underestimate the importance of having national standards published by HIQA, which is an independent regulatory body. We have €150 million of capital funding to build a state of the art, world class, national maternity hospital for women in this country on the campus of St. Vincent's. We also have plans to move the Rotunda to Connolly Hospital and the Coombe to St. James's. These are issues we need to try to fund in the context of the review of capital.

The point on midwifery numbers is that there is a challenge in recruitment and retention and one could apply the same argument to nursing numbers. It is a challenge that goes beyond funding. I hope the public sector pay commission will look at these as well in exploring the sectoral challenges. I expect the HSE to look at its Bring them Home campaign which has been disappointing in terms of the results it has delivered to date.

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