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

In August, we learned of a HSE proposal to limit home births to women and families who live within 30 minutes of a maternity hospital. This would have far-reaching consequences for families in rural areas who would be denied access to these maternity services. Home birthing will be prohibited in large areas of counties Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Monaghan and Wicklow. This will impact thousands of families. The proposal was greeted with shock from midwives and women. The Midwives Association of Ireland and the Community Midwives Association have come out strongly against this plan.

On Sunday, there was a large protest outside Cork University Maternity Hospital. Families, parents, grandparents and children all turned out to oppose this attempt to remove people’s choices. Those who are directly impacted by this proposal do not want this. The healthcare professionals who run the service do not want this. Why is it being proposed? Who is pushing this agenda, and why?

This must be a political or a managerial decision, because it is not evidence based. Home births are safe. The current systems function well. They should be improved on and developed and not shut down. Community midwives provide an incredible service and this plan is doing them a considerable disservice. From experiences with friends and family, I cannot speak highly enough of the care and caution provided by community midwives. It is disgraceful that the HSE and the Government do not appreciate this.

The report on this proposal has no evidence base. It refers to an evidence review from 2015 and it states that at that time, "No studies were found that focused on transfers from stand-alone midwifery-led units, or home births and any adverse outcomes”. The report itself admits that it has no medical basis for this massive policy change, so why is it being proposed? I have to repeat the question. Who is pushing this and why? Can the Minister of State clarify if this is a political decision? The HSE is perpetuating a misconception that home births are not safe. They are safe. If it is so adamant expectant families need to be within 30 minutes of maternity hospitals, perhaps they need to look at providing maternity services in west Cork and other rural areas. The utterly ridiculous basis of the plan is that if home births can only occur within 30 minutes of maternity hospitals, then all pregnant women should never be more than 30 minutes from a maternity hospital, as they can go into labour at any stage.

We should have birthing clinics and midwife-led services across rural and urban areas, supported by well-resourced ambulance services. Why instead is the HSE being permitted by the Government to ban home births in rural Ireland? Rather than addressing the actual problems with the maternity services, time and energy is being wasted on this plan which has excluded midwives and has left thousands of families deeply worried about their reproductive choices.

Can the Minister of State outline what plans are in place to address the more than 100 unfilled posts in maternity services in hospitals in Munster? The staff shortages in our maternity services have been described as critical this week. Midwives in Tipperary University Hospital have warned that staff shortages are causing risks to the safety of women and babies. What is the HSE’s response? It is to force more families into already over-stretched hospitals. In this context, the plan is not only not evidence based, but it is also irresponsible and dangerous. The Minister of State has to stop it now.

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