Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021

Tuesday, 27 July 2021

Questions (2396)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

2396. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Health if there will be a centralised top-down approach to lifting maternity restrictions (details supplied); if not, if hospital groups will be administering an ad hoc, location specific response; and when the Government will adhere to the recommendation by the World Health Organisation that a birthing person has a right to have a partner with them for all of their labour not only at the final hour even during the Covid-19 period. [24207/21]

Written answers

Minister for Health

As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.