Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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734. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1007 of 14 July 2020, the criteria the National Women and Infants Health Programme is using to justify the continuation of the restrictions regarding birthing partners; the level of consultation taking place with NPHET on the restrictions; the criteria needed for the restrictions to be revised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24882/20]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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735. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1007 of 14 July 2020, the reason for differences in the way in which each hospital is applying restrictions if they are being implemented by the National Women and Infants Programme, in view of the fact Dublin hospitals allow postnatal visits and other hospitals do not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24883/20]

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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744. To ask the Minister for Health his views on maternity services at present due to Covid-19 restrictions [24949/20]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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776. To ask the Minister for Health if matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) in relation to birthing partners will be examined and addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25183/20]

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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782. To ask the Minister for Health when he plans to lift restrictions on spouses attending pregnancy scans and labour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25224/20]

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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827. To ask the Minister for Health when maternity restrictions preventing the presence of partners at births will be lifted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25443/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 734, 735, 744, 776, 782 and 827 together.

I acknowledge that the current restrictions in maternity hospitals are presenting difficulties and this is hugely regrettable. However, it is necessary to reduce footfall in order to protect women, babies, staff and our maternity service as a whole.

Maternity hospitals have performed well during the pandemic and have continued to keep women, babies and staff safe. The fact that there have been no Covid maternal deaths in this country,and that we have a had a low incidence in pregnant women, suggests that the current approach is working.

However, we must remain vigilant as services resume and higher numbers of people attend hospitals. Maternity hospitals rely on very specialised personnel; should an outbreak of COVID-19 occur in a maternity hospital, the ability to provide safe, quality care would be severely impacted. It should be remembered that maternity hospitals care for fragile infants at the extremes of prematurity.

All maternity hospitals are challenged by the pandemic, but those challenges vary considerably. Decisions on any restrictions are therefore made, implemented and reviewed at hospital level.

Decisions to restrict visitors in our maternity hospitals have not been taken lightly. Management and staff are acutely aware of the very important support provided by partners at the time of birth. I have been assured that maternity hospitals wish to facilitate this support as far as possible.In that context, I can assure the Deputy that any restrictions currently in place have been minimised as much as possible and will be subject to ongoing review.

I note that restrictions have eased somewhat in certain hospitals in recent weeks and I hope this will continue. However, the recent rise in the numbers of people infected with the virus, including healthcare workers, is very worrying and may impact on the pace of the easing of restrictions.

The National Women & Infants Health Programme is working on a document which will issue to all maternity services, seeking to ensure a consistent national approach to visitor restrictions in maternity hospitals, as far as is practicable and having due regard to local circumstances. I am advised that the paper will issue over the coming week.