Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate this is an ongoing issue causing much distress to people, both mothers and their partners. The national guidance is that partners should be able to attend the birth of their child and the 20-week scan, and should have full access to the neonatal ICU if there are any problems after birth and their child has to be there. It is still possible for hospitals at local level, for their own reasons, to introduce tighter restrictions, but they have to explain why they are doing that. It is not good enough for them to say they are independent republics doing their own thing. If they are not adhering to the national guidance, they need to explain why. Is it because there is an outbreak in the hospital? Is there a good reason they are not adhering to the national guidance, which is that partners should be allowed attend the birth of their child, the 20-week scan appointment and neonatal ICU?

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