Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 November 2014
412. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 591, 639, 641, 649, 659 to 661, inclusive, and 721 of 4 November 2014, the reason the symphysiotomy payment scheme will be open to women who had a surgical symphysiotomy between the years 1940 and 1990 only (details supplied); if women affected by this practice in the years 1991 and 1992 will also be eligible. [43192/14]
View answerGovernment based its assessment of symphysiotomy on the research report by Professor Oonagh Walsh “Report on Symphysiotomy in Ireland, 1944-1984” and Judge Yvonne Murphy’s “Independent Review of Issues relating to Symphysiotomy”. In her report Prof Walsh refers to the publication by Ms Marie O'Connor, Bodily Harm: Symphysiotomy and Pubiotomy in Ireland 1944 -1992. Prof Walsh noted in her report that symphysiotomy was an exceptional intervention in Irish hospitals and rates began to decline from the late 1950s. However, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda continued to use the procedure until 1984, almost twenty years after it had largely ceased elsewhere in Ireland.
Spontaneous symphysiotomy may occur during childbirth at any time, but this is not covered under the terms of this Scheme as it is not a deliberate surgical intervention. The reference to 1992 may relate to such cases.
Government's advice, based on the evidence available, is that the procedure of surgical symphyiotomy ceased around 1984. The time period for the Surgical Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme was extended to 1990 in order to be certain to catch any case that may have occurred after 1984. If the Deputy is aware of a surgical symphysiotomy case in 1991 or 1992, I would welcome the details.
