Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It has emerged in the past week from minutes of meetings of the executive of the Saolta group that consideration is being given to merging the maternity services at Ballinasloe and Galway. Eoghan Murphy of Shannonside Radio obtained the minutes of recent meetings by way of a freedom of information request. The information has caused concern in County Roscommon and north Galway because the maternity service at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe is a very valuable asset. Is a downgrading of maternity services at the hospital envisaged? What is the status of the services and what does the reference to a merger in the minutes actually mean?

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