Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will ask the Minister a question on the Cavan midwifery led unit or MLU. I am sure he was not expecting this question today. Sixteen years ago, there was a vision for providing the women of the Border and midlands region with a new model of maternity care. On 5 July 2004, the midwifery led units in Cavan General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda opened their doors. Since then, thousands of babies have been born under the compassionate and professional watch of midwives.

The many mothers to whom I have spoken who have used the service in Cavan General Hospital have highlighted the exceptional quality of antenatal and postnatal care offered by the midwifery led unit, MLU.

As the Minister will be aware, the Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, launched the national maternity strategy in 2016. This recommended that MLUs be established in each of the 19 maternity hospitals in Ireland. Why then would the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, RCSI, group even suggest a merger or realignment, which would ultimately limit the choice for women? It flies in the face of the national maternity strategy.

I will ask the Minister to address a number of really important questions. Has he received any correspondence from the RCSI group relating to such an alignment? Will he assure the women of the Border region and the midlands who want this service that he will support it into the future and will not support any closure of the facility? Will he explain why there appears to be a lack of support for the midwifery led unit in Cavan when the unit in Drogheda is thriving? Will he assure women that bookings will reopen? It is my understanding that, as of 1 June, they have been closed. Will he commit to demanding answers from the CEO of the RCSI as to why such terrible uncertainty and doubt has been created around the future of the MLU in Cavan? Most importantly, 10,000 women have signed a petition to ensure that the MLU in Cavan is not only saved, but promoted, supported and assisted long into the future.

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