Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I endorse the Order of Business. I offer my congratulations on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party to Senators Horkan and Maria Byrne. I look forward to engaging and learning with and listening both of them. I wish them well in the term ahead.

There are a number of issues I want to raise today, the first being maternity services. Every morning, as I come to Leinster House, I travel by the Coombe and I see all of the expectant dads sitting in their cars outside of the hospital. I believe that, at this stage of the vaccination programme, particularly as it relates to healthcare and hospital staff, the restrictions relating to maternity hospitals should be lifted and dads should be allowed in for the complete duration of labour and for all antenatal scans. Emma Carroll and Ciara McGuane have done a wonderful job in terms of petitioning on this and have obtained 54,000 signatures. They set up a Facebook page called In Our Shoes. They have told about harrowing situations in the 19 maternity units throughout the country. Only yesterday I received an email from a lady called Michelle about her situation. She had a miscarriage last June and she had to hear the news herself and then go out and tell her partner. She is now pregnant again. The stress and the worry she is going through are huge. Dr. Peter McKenna, the HSE clinical director of the women and infants health programme, has said the improving situation means maternity hospitals can begin easing restrictions. However, it is down to each individual hospital. A direction should be given that the restrictions relating to maternity units should be relaxed.

I also want to raise the issue of the opening of third level and further education. Thankfully, primary school, secondary school and special schools are all open but we have to plan for the return of our students in September to ensure they have the full educational and social experience to which they are entitled. Further education, which does not happen just from September to June, needs to be looked at for our adult learners.

I remind Members that all of those involved in tackling domestic violence have asked us to wear purple today and to text the word "Safe" to 50300, which results in a €4 pledge. We all know the shadow pandemic that has happened along with the pandemic in terms of the increase in domestic violence. My local refuge, Teach Tearmainn, is doing incredible work. All such refuges need our support.