The national maternity strategy - one of the various commitments relating to improving our health service in the programme for Government - launched earlier this year. This was followed by a report on midwifery numbers which suggested that in order to implement the report, we have to move to a midwife-to-birth ratio of 1:29.5. The latter would require the appointment of an additional 450 midwives. Next Monday, strike action will be initiated at Mayo University Hospital. The midwives there will be going on strike for an hour to begin with, followed by a work-to-rule because of the severe shortage of midwives, ongoing clinical risk to mothers and babies and what they say are unworkable working conditions. Given that strike action is pending within the week and that it will continue, when is the Minister for Health going to hire the additional midwives required under the strategy, which the Government launched, and in the report following that? A total of 450 midwives are required.

It is very clear that the Government is committed to increasing the number of midwives in the service and has already been doing so steadily. The level is the highest ever, even though the birthrate is now falling. There is a recognition that the ratio of midwives to new births needs to be increased.

Of course, there are issues in the context of rolling it out, recruitment and so on. There is a trajectory regarding increasing recruitment in that area. There have been some difficulties in recruitment but there is a clear commitment to expand.