Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am blue in the face raising the issue of maternity restrictions here. I have raised some very personal stories of friends and neighbours of mine. The situation is still ongoing. Pictures emerged at the weekend of partners queuing outside the Rotunda Hospital waiting to get in. It was crazy and barbaric. Partners are not able to attend scans or help their partners through all stages of labour or induction, or even after the birth. Of those hospitals that are open, many have strict visiting hours.

A new dimension has arisen. In Clonmel in my county, an expectant mother was told by the hospital that she had to attend a foetal anomaly scan alone due to the cyberattack. How can that happen? How can a hospital issue a letter like that? Is this being used in any other way? It is absolutely outrageous, given the additional circumstances. The Better Maternity Care campaign has pointed out the anomalies that across all the hospitals despite the Government's advice. Who is in charge?

We are running into a serious crisis in the provision of home help. There are not enough people working in home help. Unless the Government finally acknowledges the conditions under which these well-qualified people work, there is a registered employment agreement and they are paid enough, we will face a serious crisis. In my political career, I have never seen such a lack of home help provision even where people are given their hours. I have never seen so many queries about this matter.

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