In common with other Senators, I am concerned about a number of local issues. I read with interest a report in a Sunday newspaper, which I can only presume was a targeted leak by somebody in the Department of Health and Children. According to the report, a proposal is being considered to close the maternity facilities at St. Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny and transfer them to the regional hospital in Waterford. A similar proposal is being considered for the maternity wards in south Tipperary and Wexford, with a view to bringing all of them together in a central facility in Waterford. From the viewpoint of developing rural communities that would be a retrograde step. It is only two years since the maternity unit was opened in St. Luke's Hospital, so the facilities there are modern and it would make no sense to transfer it, along with neighbouring maternity facilities, to Waterford. Some 6,000 babies are born every year in the south east and it is not feasible for Waterford Regional Hospital to deal with that number.