Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to seek tenders for renal dialysis units; the proposed locations of same; the decisions made in the past year on the provision of such units; the locations of and the companies that have been awarded the tenders for these units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1535/11]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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No tender award for a contracted satellite renal haemodialysis unit was made in 2010, but this year the HSE is due to invite tenders for a number of these facilities. Initial target locations for these units are Dublin North East and Dublin Mid Leinster.

Working with the Health Information Unit in the HSE, the National Renal Office (NRO), also in the HSE, has mapped the resident location of all patients on dialysis in Ireland. All new renal haemodialysis units will be located and configured in line with the NRO's strategic objective of providing services to populations at local levels, consistent with safe and effective care and practice, and linked in a network with local parent departments of renal medicine.

The HSE is concluding the tender process for provision of a Home Haemodialysis Service - a different paradigm of care which allows patients to avail of treatment within their own home.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of babies born here in 2010; the way this compares with previous years; the way plans are progressing to address the capacity problems in maternity hospitals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1556/11]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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Latest information from the HSE reports that the number of births up to the end of October 2010 was 61,791 nationally which represents a 0.5% decrease on the number of births for the same period in 2009 which was 62,131. The trend is showing a 1.1% decrease against expected levels for 2010. October saw the second highest number of births reported in 2010 (6,418). This follows on from the highest number reported in September (6,491).

The number of births for 2006 was 62,744, for 2007 the number was 70,077, for 2008 it was 73,815 and for 2009 it was 74,602.

A clinical programme for obstetric care has been established by the HSE's National Director of Quality and Clinical Care. This will define best practice for gynaecology and obstetric care.

The KPMG report on maternity services in the Greater Dublin Area recommended that maternity and related services should transfer from the three existing maternity hospitals in Dublin to locations on adult acute hospital sites. It recommended that services at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at Holles Street should move to the St Vincent's University Hospital campus at Elm Park. It also recommended that the Coombe should transfer to Tallaght Hospital and that the Rotunda services should be established on the Mater Hospital site. This report has been adopted by the HSE, and steps are being taken towards implementation of the recommendations made.

Ireland has, by international standards, a very high quality maternity service. Maternal mortality, perinatal mortality and infant mortality are all low by comparison to other jurisdictions. As part of the HSE's service planning process for 2011, the hospitals are ensuring that Early Pregnancy Assessment Units are compliant with national guidelines.