Due to gross mismanagement on the part of the HSE and the Pontius Pilate attitude of the Minister for Health and Children, her Department and the Government, the intended opening of the new maternity hospital in Cork did not proceed as planned. What steps is the Taoiseach taking to address the very serious delay in the opening of that new facility? What has he done to advance the objective of ensuring the hospital will be fully operational as soon as possible? Will the matter be resolved this week? What is the Taoiseach's view of the statement by the Minister for Health and Children that the dispute is all about money? Does he agree with the overwhelming majority of Deputies and members of the wider public who are informed on the issue that the concerns of the midwifery and nursing staff who will be taking up positions in this new facility have always revolved around matters of safety and staffing levels? Has he noted the concerns expressed by the Irish Nurses Organisation over a period of six months in respect of the requirement to have a full complement of fully trained midwifery and nursing support staff in situ in advance of the opening of the new facility? Is he aware that it was only in the days immediately prior to the poorly planned opening of the facility on Saturday last that the HSE exposed the fact that it did not have the required number of staff in place?

This is a serious matter which is indicative of the gross neglect displayed by the Department and the failure of the HSE to fully discharge its responsibilities. The Minister for Health and Children, in her disgraceful contribution in respect of this matter, as much as accused the midwifery and nursing staff intending to take up posts in the new facility and the wider nursing community of greed. How does she balance this against the revelation in the past week that three advisers to the HSE chief executive, Brendan Drumm, received up to €1 million — including an overtime rate of €1,500 per day — in the 15 months to January this year? How can the Government have the gall to accuse nurses involved in the front-line delivery of health services of greed while trying to stand over and justify the outrageous abuse and misuse of public moneys I have outlined?

I will outline some of the facts relating to this matter. As consistently stated, I support the Labour Court's recommendations and hope this matter will be resolved during the week. Cork University Maternity Hospital is a new, state-of-the-art €75 million facility which contains 144 beds. It replaces three outdated maternity hospitals.

We want to know why it is not open. We have in our possession the information the Taoiseach is attempting to provide.

Deputy Ó Caoláin had an opportunity to ask his questions and must allow the Taoiseach to reply.

That information is contained in all the press releases.

Is that the Deputy's supplementary question?

No.

It is an annual budget of €60 million. At all stages the HSE advised that the hospital would be opened on a phased basis and would be fully operational by the end of this year.

The Cork University Maternity Hospital was due to open last Saturday. Deputy Ó Caoláin is correct in that regard. Some 128 of the 144 beds were ready and due to open on that day. The HSE, consultant staff and the midwifery management were completely satisfied that 128 beds could have safely opened last Saturday, and they are the people to make that decision. There was a major operation put in place to assist the transfer of all women from the existing three maternity hospitals.

The hospital failed to open following a ballot by the INO members last Friday rejecting the Labour Court recommendations. The Labour Court's recommendation 18661 stated that the facility should open as planned on 24 March. The HSE accepted the Labour Court recommendations and the INO cited insufficient staffing as the reason for refusing to move to the new hospital. The HSE has set a new date of 31 March, and remains in daily communications with the midwives due to transfer to the new service. Some 125 beds will transfer from the three maternity hospitals.

Deputy Ó Caoláin stated there were no posts and a lack of staff, and that is not the case. The HSE has created 264 new additional posts of which 146 are midwifery nursing posts for the new Cork University Maternity Hospital. The staffing rate for the hospital is the best in the country, with a 1:23 birth ratio.

When the facility is fully operational, the midwifery nursing complement will be 375. Currently, there is a short-term issue in filling all the posts, but 32 student midwives are expected to graduate after the summer and all of them will be offered employment. The HSE will make up any short-term staffing with overtime and agency midwives.

Midwives and nurses are rostered to attend induction training and orientation in the maternity hospital this week. Some 75 midwives have already attended orientation training.

Those are the facts. Hopefully, this state-of-the-art €75 million facility with 144 beds replacing outdated services will open this weekend.

On that last point, we certainly agree it is a state-of-the-art facility and one that should be opened immediately. It is all the more incredible, therefore, that the Minister has failed to make the required intervention to ensure the adequate staff are in situ in advance of the opening of the facility, as was clearly a requirement, not only of the INO but, indeed, of the wider populace who would be using it.

The Taoiseach must acknowledge that the integrity of the nurses and midwives in the Cork area who would be employed there is in question by the Minister's charge that this was all to do with greed and money. Does he agree that midwives and nurses are the people at the coalface of the delivery of the care to expectant mothers presenting for birth at this and every other facility, and they know first hand and best the level of cover and the various requirements that are necessary to ensure the safe delivery of a new generation of young children in that city and county?

I ask the Taoiseach to clarify his position. Does he understand the reason the midwives and nurses have rejected the proposition and, indeed, the further points put to them by the INO in an effort to see if there was another way through the difficulty? They have given a clear answer and the INO senior executive must follow through on its membership's decision. The Government also has a responsibility to follow through on that decision, that is, to ensure there is adequate staffing cover immediately. What steps is the Taoiseach taking to ensure this state-of-the-art facility is up and running before the end of this week?

It is the old story, is it not? One day it is that there are not state-of-the-art facilities and the next there are state-of-the-art facilities and people think up some other reason.

It is great that there is one. It makes a change from closing maternity units in Monaghan and elsewhere.

Deputy Ó Caoláin, please allow the Taoiseach.

It is the HSE, consultant staff and the midwifery management, not people out on the streets or any individual member of staff, who are the people who make the call. The HSE, the consultant staff in the hospital and the midwifery management were completely satisfied, and that is the issue. It is not Deputy Ó Caoláin's function or my function. The people with responsibility, the people in management positions who are paid for management positions, which Deputy Ó Caoláin obviously has a difficulty with — I am not getting into that — are the ones who made the call.

The HSE went to the Labour Court. The Labour Court issued its recommendation As always, I am consistent on that and stand over the recommendation. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, acted honourably throughout.

The INO cited that there were insufficient staff — I have already given the reason in that regard. The INO also sought relocation payments of €3,000 and €5,000, and additional promotional posts. The relocation payments claim was rejected by the Labour Court, but it did recommend an additional one day's leave be granted on a once-off basis and that was accepted by the HSE.

Deputy Ó Caoláin asked about the additional posts. The HSE has created 146 midwifery nursing posts for the new Cork University Maternity Hospital, which is the best ratio in the country, and when it is fully operational there will be 375. As I stated, the midwives and nurses are rostered on a basis that is well known.

Obviously, it is an industrial relations matter and it is not for me to give my personal view on these issues. It is a matter of fulfilling a Labour Court recommendation. I hope the matter will be resolved so this state-of-the-art facility can be opened as soon as possible.