Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)

I raise the Health Service Executive report from yesterday on the care of some women in Portiuncula hospital. The results are shocking enough that this could be replicated in other hospitals. Equally shocking and perhaps more is that we utterly failed to learn from the Walker report in 2018 and the same mistakes have been repeated. I am particularly aware of the national maternity strategy. We clearly need a debate on the topic. For today, my question relates to the decision to move high-risk pregnancies to Galway hospital, which is under extreme pressure. It does not have the new maternity wing. If it has be done in an emergency, clarity is required on the extra resources that will be put in to facilitate that. The department is already under extreme pressure.

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