Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

109. To ask the Minister for Health his Department's intentions to the 29 women who had engaged the services of community midwife (details supplied) now not in a position to provide their professional advices and supports due to the arbitrary withdrawal of their indemnification; the way it was possible to offer the person a return to their indemnified practise with the proviso of having a second community midwife in situ in an overseeing capacity when there is clearly no such availability as has been stated by the national director of community care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42758/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I will answer the first part of the question put down by the Deputy. As the second issue raised is an operational matter, I have forwarded it to the HSE for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.

I have been informed by the HSE that the total number of clients of Ms Canning with signed contract agreements with the HSE is 13. Of this number, 5 mothers have delivered since Ms Cannings suspension, in the care of an alternative Self Employed Community Midwife (SECM), a hospital or mothers making alternative arrangements.

The remaining 8 mothers were offered alternative options. Another 3 have accepted the offer of an alternative SECM, 1 has decided to go to the Maternity Hospital for delivery, 3 have no SECM available to them and have been referred to the hospital service and 1 has declined the SECM offered and instead accessed private care.

I would advise any mothers-to-be who are not contracted with the HSE should contact their designated midwife officers to explore the options available to them. All other HSE maternity services within the maternity hospital systems are available to all mothers-to-be.