Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach may say that it is Government policy that the maternity restrictions have been uniformly applied across the country but that is not the case. I have reams of emails from women who state that within the last two weeks, they still have been unable to have their partners with them for their entire labour, they still have had to endure and go through the traumatic experience of miscarrying alone and they still have not received the support they need after caesarean sections when they have had to look after their babies by themselves. There is a huge disconnect between what is happening with women's lives and what the Taoiseach here in the Dáil believes is happening. Will he please listen to the women and believe their stories? I understand the HSE is surveying the hospitals at the moment to find out what restrictions are in place. The time for surveying is over. The Taoiseach needs to listen to and believe women who are telling him that there are restrictions on the supports they are getting during their pregnancy care and he needs to sort it out.

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