Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I remind the Senator that according to the 2003 Hanly report on maternity services, there were 93 obstetrics and gynaecology consultants in HSE hospitals at that time. The report recommended that there should be 190 people in such roles by 2012, but the reality is that there was no real change in the period from 2003 to 2011. The number of births increased from 61,500 in 2003 to 75,500 in 2009 without any increase in staffing levels in maternity hospitals. We are now having to deal with that issue. It is important for the future that we immediately start to engage in long-term planning, which is one of the things that is lacking in the health services. I would certainly welcome a debate on this matter.