James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There are over 74,000 births in Ireland each year, the majority of which take place in 19 public hospitals. Ireland currently enjoys one of the lowest neo-natal mortality rates in European and OECD countries.

As Minister for Health, I am committed to ensuring that women can avail of the highest quality maternity service. I am also keenly aware that we need to take account of women's preferences for a broader choice of services, including the potential for midwives to play a more prominent role in obstetrics.

The Domino scheme offers midwifery care to low-risk mothers from the beginning of pregnancy, during labour, and until the baby is five to ten days old. The underlying ethos for this scheme is to encourage and support normal childbirth with minimum medical intervention. I understand that the Domino scheme has operated successfully in Wexford General Hospital.(WGH) since 2003 and is continually audited.

WGH maternity unit delivers 2,300 babies a year, with approximately 200 mothers participating in the Domino programme. I have been advised by the HSE that, because of maternity leave and other factors, the numbers of midwives available to WGH is not sufficient to safely operate both the maternity unit and the full Domino service.

As a result he Domino service will continue but with some amendments, so that WGH can continue to provide a safe, high quality service for mothers attending the maternity unit. There will be one post-natal visit, with two clinics to be held in the hospital and a specific discharge visit prior to discharge. There will be no change with regard to the provision of home births.

As Minister for Health, I have taken on the very challenging task of improving our health services so that all citizens can avail of a high quality and equitable service. The Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinical Programme is progressing across all the 19 hospitals that provide maternity services. Its work is ongoing and includes measuring obstetric outcomes, developing new models of care for deliveries and training. It is my aim that the work of this programme will inform better planning and use of resources, thereby ensuring that women's experience of childbirth will be enhanced, with the mother and child at the centre of the process.