Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 227: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number cases to date of caesarean sections performed in maternity hospitals here which are elective; the number which are emergency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14931/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The hospital inpatient inquiry system records details on discharges from publicly-funded acute hospitals. A new coding system was introduced in January 2005 which allows separate classification of elective and emergency caesarean sections. This was not possible prior to 2005. Hospital inpatient inquiry data for 2005 are not yet complete, with approximately 79% of figures received to date. It should also be noted that the hospital inpatient inquiry system does not receive data on all births nationally and, in particular, does not cover private maternity hospitals.

The data available indicates the following:

In March 2006, I announced the establishment of a new national perinatal epidemiology centre in Cork University Hospital that will be operational in the autumn of this year, with annual funding of €630,000. Every time a mother gives birth in this country, the important interventions, the good outcomes and the complications will be recorded and analysed at the centre.