Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 14 Members of the House for their contributions to the Order of Business. I dtús báire Senator Ardagh raised the issue of the national maternity hospital. With regard to the maternity strategy, I alert the Seanadóir to the fact that we have a national maternity strategy up and running. Significant developments in the delivery of the national maternity strategy have already occurred. I remind Senator Ardagh that €3 million was allocated to the development of maternity services in 2016, €6.4 million was allocated in 2017, €4.15 million was allocated in 2018, and an additional €3.1 million has been allocated to the national women and infants programme in 2019. This is all extra money. One point to be made in respect of our maternity services is that 15 of the 19 maternity hospitals are now able to offer routine anomaly scanning. This is an improvement and there is more to come.

With regard to the Rotunda, the Minister, the Government and all of us are fully aware of the concerns raised by Professor Malone. The Department's priority has always been the welfare of the infants affected by the outbreak of the bacterial infection. The Department has been in regular contact with the hospital to ensure that appropriate care is provided. The matters the Senator has spoken about with regard to development have had no impact on the issues relating to the healthcare-associated infection she mentioned. I will point out to her that €7 million has been invested in the last two years, comprising an allocation of €2 million in 2018 and €5 million this year. The Minister is working with the Government, the HSE, and the hospitals to ensure our maternity hospitals are fully resourced and fully staffed. I am happy to have the Minister come to the House in that regard. On the matter of Facebook's currency, I am happy to have the relevant Minister come before the House.

Senators McDowell and Norris raised the issue of Dublin Port. I suggest to Senator McDowell that he may get a more expeditious reply to his legitimate concerns by talking to the Leas-Chathaoirleach about the Seanad Public Consultation Committee doing some work on the issue. To be fair to the Senator, rather than having, as he said, a participative debate, we may need to do some more substantive work on the matter.