Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister will get his opportunity to speak. With that in mind, we can consider how services function within the obligations under the working time directive and, arguably, the new consultant contract, as well as competition from abroad and elsewhere. More lucrative medical disciplines can be chosen, meaning further pressure may come to bear. Our concern is that the Government, as it has with other issues, will take the easy option. It will look to rationalise the number of maternity centres as it does not need all of them, and it will be able to use the case of Ms Halappanavar and other issues as good cover for downgrading certain hospitals. That is instead of seeing that, from a geographical perspective, there must be services in the north west at Letterkenny, with obstetric-led services in Sligo and other centres. The women of Ireland are entitled to that.

We must not replicate what is happening with cardiac care and the National Cancer Control Programme. They are a great success from a statistical perspective and when speaking of outcomes for 80% of the population but what about the 20% in the north west, where no cardiac catheterisation laboratory facilities exist? There are no plans for them and, as usual, it is kicked to touch with the statement that the Department is discussing the issue with colleagues from the North. Frankly, the people in the north west do not want the Queen looking after their health services. The Minister is in charge and these people are entitled to services in this area. His track record of commitments to people in the north west, including Roscommon, Sligo or elsewhere, is poor in the extreme. It gives me no pleasure to say this but people simply do not believe the Minister.

Worryingly, the amendment indicates that decisions on maternity service provision will be taken in the context of a proposed national maternity strategy; it will be a national rather than local basis. This is similar to what happened with the National Cancer Control Programme and the cardiac programme and whether this boils down to medical politics, officialdom or the political will of the Minster and his colleagues, the north west of the country is a gaping wound in the context of adequate service provision. I would like the person who wants to have a baby in Glencolmcille to have the same chance of that baby being safely delivered as the person living in Salthill.