Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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440. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the hiring of a consultant (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24102/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Maternity Strategy recognises that smaller maternity services cannot, and should not, operate in isolation as stand-alone entities. Those units cannot sustain the breadth and depth of clinical services that the populations they serve require without formal links to larger units. Accordingly, Maternity Networks are being established across Hospital Groups. Through the development of the networks, and the sharing of expertise within the networks, the operational resilience of smaller units can be strengthened and such units can be supported to provide safe quality services.

In response to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.