Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Smyth articulated that perfectly. All of the women in the Oireachtas are calling for this. It was all well said by Deputy Smyth. I first raised this issue more than a year ago. Since then, there have been considerable changes. We are close to most of the restrictions across all of society being eased. More than 90% of over 16-year-olds are fully vaccinated, yet, restrictions still remain in accompanying people to maternity hospitals. Despite the opening of pubs, sports, offices, bingo and almost everything, women are still expected to endure prolonged labour and to care for their new born alone. This is not to mention the partners who have at times received the most difficult and tragic news on their own in hospital car parks.

There is deep frustration and anger, not only about this issue, but about the inconsistencies from the Government and HSE. If one goes onto the HSE webpage for hospital visiting restrictions, one will find a significant difference in the restrictions between maternity hospitals and units. Over the last year, I have raised the kind of post code lottery in relation to this. The goal posts have shifted every time I raised this issue. It has shifted from being a HSE issue, to a local hospital group issue, to waiting for vaccine roll-out, to cramped conditions in our older hospitals.

The Rotunda Hospital was insistent on its restrictions until the outrage at the filming of the television series. This was filmed at a time when partners were not allowed in. Once that pressure came, it miraculously eased restrictions. Back in May, as we all know, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tony Holohan, said that there was no good reason in public health terms for maternity hospitals to restrict visits from partners. Then in June, the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, said that all of the State’s maternity units will be following the same visiting guidelines for patients' partners.

However, we are now at the stage where some women, as Deputy Smyth said, are going through their second birth alone during the pandemic. The approach taken over the past 12 months has not worked. I am asking if the Government can please gather all the heads together to try to address the situation once and for all.

See this speech in context