Written answers

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Photo of Claire KerraneClaire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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2545. To ask the Minister for Health if she will request a roadmap for the restoration of full maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital. [40801/25]

Photo of Claire KerraneClaire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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2546. To ask the Minister for Health if she will seek a full review of maternity services at a hospital (details supplied). [40802/25]

Photo of Claire KerraneClaire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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2547. To ask the Minister for Health if she will seek a full review of maternity services at hospitals (details supplied). [40803/25]

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2545 to 2547, inclusive, together.

The safety and quality of our maternity services are of critical importance to the women and families who use them, as well as to this Government.

The developments at the Portiuncula University Hospital (PUH) maternity unit may undoubtedly cause concern and worry for many women attending or planning to attend services there.

There are twelve external reviews in total related to maternity care at PUH, which are at various stages of progress. Seven of these reviews have now been completed, and 52 recommendations have arisen from these reviews.

The HSE has advised that work to implement the recommendations arising from the reviews is in progress through the work of the PUH External Management Team (EMT) and the Regional Women’s & Children’s Managed Clinical and Academic Network (MCAN).

An implementation team has been established to ensure the implementation of the recommendations arising from all reviews and to progress any further changes required over the coming months.

This work will therefore continue to progress over the coming months, with close monitoring and engagement within both the HSE and Department of Health. This includes ensuring sufficient capacity and resources are in place across the HSE West and North-West region.

Consideration for the future direction of maternity service development will require an extensive evidence base, of which a review of the implementation of the current National Maternity Strategy will form part. The Programme for Government commits to developing a successor to the existing National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026. The work to develop this new strategy will include any wider policy issues arising from the PUH reviews and their recommendations.

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