Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 107: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on whether many of the maternity hospitals here are overcrowded and inadequate for their purpose; when proposals to replace the three large Dublin maternity hospitals and the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital with new units on the grounds of acute general hospitals will be implemented; the discussions she has had on using the proposed national solidarity bonds, announced in budget 2010, for this purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7127/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The number of births in recent years has risen considerably and is projected by the HSE to be in excess of 76,000 this year. This increase has placed great pressures on maternity services across the country. The HSE is committed to developing a strategic approach to maternity services nationally. The first stage in this work was the Review of Maternity & Gynaecology Services in the Greater Dublin Area. The review, which was conducted for the HSE by KPMG Consultants, was published last year. The Report recommended that services at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital be moved to the Adelaide Meath & National Childrens Hospital (AMNCH), Tallaght; services at the National Maternity Hospital, Holles St, be moved to St Vincent's University Hospital and services currently delivered at the Rotunda Hospital be moved to the Mater site.

The HSE is developing an implementation plan to deal with the key recommendations in the report, including the development of midwifery led units and a fetal medicine network. In relation to services at the Coombe moving to Tallaght, a Transition Group has been established between both hospitals with a view to having local working groups in place shortly to advance the relevant workstreams as recommended in the Report. In relation to services at Holles Street moving to the site of St Vincent's, the HSE is actively pursuing all opportunities to expedite the move within the earliest possible timescale. In relation to the services at the Rotunda moving to the Mater site, the Design Team for the National Paediatric Hospital has been appointed and included as part of the brief is the accommodation of maternity, adult and paediatric services on the site.

The HSE is working on plans to relocate the Mid Western Regional Maternity Hospital to the site of the Mid Western Regional Hospital at Dooradoyle. The project is currently at appraisal stage. The Minister for Finance announced in the Budget that the Government intends to introduce a National Solidarity Bond which will allow ordinary citizens to contribute to national economic recovery. However, as indicated by the Minister at the time of the Budget, the proceeds of the bond will not be used to fund additional expenditure over and above that decided on by the Government in the context of the Budget.