Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I second the proposed amendment to the Order of Business by Senator Darragh O'Brien. Without going over the ground covered, there is no doubt there is a major problem in the health services. What is happening in Beaumont Hospital is typical of what is happening throughout the country. I will not make a comment on the previous Minister or the current Minister, but the state of our health services is worse than it was five years ago. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and many of the medical profession are saying it. It is a serious charge, but something that must be dealt with.

Can the Deputy Leader ascertain why the Rotunda Hospital has set up a maternity strategy steering committee group from 2014 to 2016 to examine matters at the coalface in our maternity hospitals? There is no staff midwife on the group. I am alarmed and perplexed at this, as midwives are at the coalface of births and are central to any maternity hospital. I welcome the setting up of the steering group, and perhaps other maternity hospitals should follow suit. To ignore the functions and input of staff midwives is a serious fault by the strategy group. I do not expect an answer but perhaps the Deputy Leader can ascertain why it happened and ensure it does not happen again. Midwives play a central and key role in maternity hospitals and are at the coalface of births. To ignore their input and to set them aside and stand them down from such a steering group is a major mistake.