Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On 21 June, the Minister for Health gave us a commitment that by the end of that day every hospital would have the same rules for partner visits, including access for the full duration of labour. Despite claims by the Taoiseach and others that the situation in our maternity hospitals and units had been resolved, clearly that is not the case. I have been contacted recently by dozens of people about their personal stories. They all revolve around the fact that a woman cannot have her partner present for the entirety of labour. Instead, she labours on her own. There are also stories of partners being asked to leave approximately an hour after birth, just when any new mother will need her rest most.

Women are watching and they see society reopening. They are very stressed at the thought of facing the pain, worry, anxiety and challenges of labour and childbirth on their own. The Government's guidance needs to say that partners are not visitors and recognise that they are an essential support, in line with what the Chief Medical Officer and the World Health Organization have said. The Taoiseach needs to stop treating this issue like it is sorted, and get it actually sorted for the full duration of labour and after birth.

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