Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister for Health. I wish to comment on public service community radio. We have a great radio station in Kildare, Kfm. It provides an important public service. That was how I first heard of this particular situation. Some of the women impacted contacted me afterwards. There is a new modern primary day healthcare centre in Athy which provides a great service, including a postpartum service for new mothers. This is important to facilitate checkups for baby and mother, to begin the vaccination programme and to deal with things like breastfeeding support and postnatal depression support. It is a vulnerable time for mams and children. People quite suddenly received texts cancelling their appointments in Athy, in some cases with less than 24 hours' notice. They were told they had to travel to Portlaoise hospital instead. This also impacted women in Monasterevin because they were attending a clinic in Portarlington that was also cancelled. Many mums may need someone else to drive them or may have to organise babysitting for their other children. During a vulnerable time, it is a real shock to get a text cancelling a service like this out of the blue. The response we are getting is that it is because of staff shortages. Children and postpartum women should be a priority. There is no timeline for when the service will recommence in Athy and in Portarlington. It supports new mums in Portarlington and Monasterevin. When can we expect this vital and important service to recommence? Is there anything available to support them in the meantime, such as transport for those who do not have access to private transport? Public transport between Athy and Portlaoise is practically non-existent. If this will continue for a time, I propose that transport arrangements be put in place. It should not have happened, especially with such little notice to mums. Getting a text when you are prepared and have put arrangements in place to say that you have to go to another place is not acceptable. Portlaoise is a large town and the hospital is dealing with its own patients. There is a concern that there will be long delays for mams and their babies. It is not good enough. The women I represent in Athy and Monasterevin deserve better. I look forward to hearing the response from the Minister's office and the Department.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank Senator O’Loughlin for this opportunity to address the House today on behalf of the Minister for Health regarding the provision of community midwifery services in Athy by the maternity unit at Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise. I endorse what the Senator said about Kfm. I had the privilege of representing Kildare in the European Parliament for five years. I am well aware of the huge value of the community service provided by Kfm.

Coming back to the Senator's question, the Government recognises the critical role midwives play in the delivery of safe, nationally consistent and woman-centred maternity care. The Minister for Health understands the disruption and distress that the interruption of this service may have caused to women in the area. I think all of us here today do as well. The Minister would like to reassure the Deputy and the women attending this service that measures have been put in place to resume it.The midwifery service provided in Athy Primary Care Centre is a midwifery-led, antenatal satellite service from Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise for women with normal-risk pregnancies. The service was temporarily paused last week to facilitate unplanned staff leave. The HSE has confirmed that the midwifery-led antenatal clinics will be operating as normal from this week in Athy Primary Care Centre and Portarlington Primary Care Centre. Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise has been contacting affected women directly about this matter. The HSE has provided assurances that all efforts will be made to continue with the midwifery-led community clinics without interruption, including enhancing recruitment of the midwifery workforce.

This Government recognises the importance of midwifery and community care. This has been underpinned by significant investment in services, both in Portlaoise and nationally. The national maternity strategy is moving into its final years. A total of €28 million in new development funding has been invested through the strategy since 2016. This has enabled the total recruitment of more than 530 full-time staff across the country. These staff and this investment improve women's lives every day. Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise has directly benefited from investment through the national maternity strategy. Since 2018, 12.5 additional whole-time equivalent staff have been funded at the unit through the strategy, including nine whole-time equivalent midwives and midwife specialists. The unit has benefited from over €150,000 in capital investment through the strategy since 2020, including funding for a home away from home birthing room, scanning equipment and neonatal support equipment. I have a little more to say but will wait for the Senator's response.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State. Like her, I acknowledge the critical role that midwives across the country play in the delivery of excellent services for mums and their new babies. I acknowledge that the Minister for Health has said that she understands the disruption and distress that has been caused. I appreciate that in the Minister of State's answer, she said measures had been put in place to resume the service and that they have confirmed that the antenatal clinics will be operating as normal from this week. That is important news in Athy Primary Care Centre and Portarlington Primary Care Centre. The Minister of State talked about the issue with recruitment, which is obviously important, because every new mum deserves to have the very best. I wish the Minister of State well with the task force that is being established. I stress that it is important to make sure contingency plans are in place so that something like this does not happen again in south Kildare or indeed anywhere else in the country.

Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the Senator. To finish the reply, Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise is funded for 76.5 whole-time equivalent midwives, which falls comfortably within the recommended staffing levels for the number of births at the unit. In response to challenges with vacancies in permanent midwifery positions nationwide, a national midwifery task force was established in October 2023. It is bringing together midwives, HSE professionals and academic expertise to enhance practices around midwifery workforce planning. In budget 2025, an additional €2 million in new development funding has been provided for the continued implementation of this national maternity strategy. All 19 maternity services now offer a midwife-led supported care pathway.