Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

I agree with Senator Leyden on this matter. As a member of the legal profession, I do not agree with the amendment. A big issue can arise if one has a home delivery but it does not work out, unfortunately, and one is admitted to hospital. The hospital will have insurance cover, but the midwife might not have cover. If litigation ensues in such circumstances, there will be a big legal argument at the outset about where responsibility lies and where the procedure went wrong. In the first five or ten days of such a legal case, questions will be asked about whether insurance cover exists. That is why it is essential that professional indemnity cover is extended to everyone involved in this area. That is why I do not support this amendment. The Minister, like the previous Minister, is right in this regard. I will not support this amendment.