Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her reply. She said there are seven vacancies. The health committee was informed that there were only three or four vacancies. There should be clarity and transparency about this. The hospitals that have not filled these vacancies should be clearly identified along with the timescale for filling them. When will the recommendations be fully accepted? I do not want a scenario where we are trying to fill these positions eight years later with some only being filled on a temporary basis in order that the same problem that arose in Portlaoise does not arise again.

The report highlights the variation in the delivery rate in Portlaoise hospital between 2007 and 2013 but it did not refer to the rate between 2000 and 2007 when it increased by more than 100%. The number of deliveries increased from more than 1,000 to more than 2,000. No HSE manager was held responsible for the failure to appoint additional staff. No one is being held accountable now for the failure to fill these vacancies. There should be clear accountability and a clear timescale to fill them.