I raised with the Taoiseach on a number of occasions the need to end restrictions in maternity hospitals for pregnant women and their partners. I am sure the Taoiseach has heard, as I have, the really heartbreaking stories from many people about the hardship this has caused. Put simply, partners are not visitors and they must have access, along with the pregnant women, for appointments, scans, labour and postnatal care.

The Taoiseach has confirmed on a number of occasions that it is his view, shared by the Chief Medical Officer; the head of the HSE, Mr. Paul Reid; and the Minister for Health that there is now no reason for restrictions to be in place. Yet as we meet today, these restrictions are still a reality. I ask the Taoiseach to intervene and bring together the masters of the maternity hospitals and managers of hospitals with maternity units.

This situation needs to be rectified without further delay.

I agree 100% and I agree with and support the Chief Medical Officer's view that, given the situation with the suppression of the virus and the vaccination programme, there is no good public health reason for these restrictions remaining in place. I urge that, where appropriate, all maternity services relax their restrictions. The updated national guidance issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre says it is generally appropriate to facilitate attendance by a partner through active labour and childbirth, at the 20-week anatomy scans and on daily visits, for example, to a child in neonatal care. The chief clinical officer of the HSE has written to the hospitals seeking confirmation that maternity services are implementing the current national guidelines. I will talk to the CEO of the HSE again to make sure this is applied across the country.