Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects to provide for the creation of a national guideline for clinical practice in maternity care; the consequences to be implemented by HIQA where hospitals fail to reach the designated national guidelines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3036/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), which was established in May 2007, is the body responsible for the setting of standards on safety and quality in relation to the public health service in accordance with Section 8 of the Health Act 2007. HIQA propose to develop such standards for acute hospitals in 2008. The standards will, in the first instance, be generic across the acute hospital sector. However, the standards will be refined over time in line with priorities. The role of HIQA includes the monitoring of compliance with those standards.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects to be in a position to provide for the publication of clinical reports on maternity hospital statistics; when the national perinatal epidemiology unit in Cork University Hospital will be in a position to provide a structure for such publications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3037/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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My Department is advised by the Health Service Executive that annual clinical reports are published by each of the three public maternity hospitals in Dublin and that reports are prepared annually or are in the course of preparation by other units. My Department has asked the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have a more detailed reply issued to the Deputy in relation to this element of his question.

The National Perinatal Epidemiology Centre at Cork University Hospital was established in 2006 under a service level agreement with the HSE. The aim of this centre is to improve clinical services for mothers and babies by monitoring all data from Irish maternity units. The role of the centre is to record, monitor and analyse all births, important interventions, complications and outcomes. The priorities for the Centre are the development of a national maternity chart for Ireland and standardised data collection across all maternity units.

The development of a single maternity chart for use in all of the State's hospitals and units should offer benefits such as improved harmonisation of data collection from different hospitals, facilitation of better patient movement between hospitals and co-ordination of a perinatal epidemiology monitoring service.

My Department has been advised by the HSE that a draft maternity chart is due to be circulated shortly to all maternity units for comment. In addition, a draft data set detailing the clinical and demographic variables was compiled with specialist input following a review of similar sets in use internationally.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 153: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether the Health Amendment Act 1991 does not allow for midwifery led care to avail of designated private beds which are available under a consultant led system; if she has carried out a study of the implications of the difference between midwifery led care and consultant led care in respect of maternity services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3038/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Health (Amendment) Act, 1991 and associated regulations make no provision for midwives to admit patients to designated private beds.

The transformation of maternity services nationally is a key project within the HSE Transformation Programme. As part of this work, an independent review of maternity services in the Greater Dublin Area is being undertaken by external consultants on behalf of the HSE and is due to be completed shortly. The review will set out recommendations and provide an action plan to facilitate the best model for primary, community and hospital services and workforce requirements. The review will also help to inform decisions on the most appropriate model of care for the future delivery of maternity and gynaecology services to patients in Dublin, including the provision of midwife led services.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will make arrangements to have consumer representation for improvements in the maternity services provided and represented on the board of HIQA; if this is Government policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3039/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Board of the Health Information and Quality Authority, which is made up of 12 members, is appointed in accordance with Section 13 of the Health Act 2007. The membership of the Board is, as required, made up of people with a broad range of experience and expertise in relation to matters connected with the functions of the Authority and includes representatives of service providers and service users generally. It would not be feasible to have every individual health service provider group or service sector represented at Board level. However, any person or group may put forward their views on any particular matter for consideration by the Board by writing to the Chairperson or its Chief Executive Officer.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 155: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will make arrangements for a temporary decompression chamber to be provided at Galway pending provision of a new hypobaric decompression chamber currently under construction; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that divers operating commercially off the west coast pending the provision of a new decompression chamber would have to attend at Craigavon or the Isle of Man in the event of emergency treatment being required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3040/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. Therefore, the Executive is the appropriate body to consider the particular question raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.