The next three are Deputies O'Loughlin, Murphy O'Mahony and Michael Moynihan.

Ireland has one of the highest birth rates in the world and yet there has been much neglect in maternity services. Geographically, there is certainly inequity, given that 25% of the hospitals do not have scans and the perinatal mental health services for mild-to-moderate issues are practically non-existent. When the Taoiseach was Minister for Health he created the National Maternity Strategy, which was very much welcomed, and stated that he would do everything in his power to ensure implementation. What has been achieved in relation to the recommendations and when can we expect the remaining recommendations to be implemented?

I was pleased to be associated with and involved in the development of the new National Maternity Strategy, which was published when I was Minister for Health. If I recall correctly, it is a seven-year strategy.

Ten-year.

Of course, the nature of a seven-year strategy is that it gets implemented incrementally over seven years. I will ask the Minister for Health to provide the Deputy with detail on what is implemented to date and progress on other matters.

I would point out though that while we have a high birth rate in Ireland, it is falling, and notwithstanding the fact that we have a falling birth rate, we now have more midwives than we have ever had before, and more consultant obstetricians and gynaecologists than we have ever had before. I am pleased to note that An Bord Pleanála has granted planning permission for a new national maternity hospital which can now be built. It will be the first new maternity hospital built since Cork University Maternity Hospital a number of years ago.

The time is nearly up and I am calling for brevity.