I raise with the Taoiseach the issue of ongoing concerns about the independence, ownership and governance of the new national maternity hospital in light of recent reports by Jennifer Bray and by Justine McCarthy that the HSE board has approved the legal framework and constitution of the new hospital, yet two members of the board have dissented from that decision due to unresolved concerns. I note Dr. Peter Boylan, who wrote today in The Irish Times, has suggested that the term “clinically appropriate” will be used in the national maternity hospital designated activity company document to qualify the obligation to provide all medical treatment to women, including abortion services. Will the Taoiseach give a commitment to bring the final documentation before the Oireachtas and before the Oireachtas Committee on Health before it can be signed off? We need to ensure there is a commitment that all the necessary treatments that women require for our reproductive healthcare will be met in the new national maternity hospital and that there will be no qualifying words which might restrict the availability of necessary medical treatments in the hospital.

They will be met and they will be provided. All procedures that are legally available in the State will be provided. The memorandum has not yet come to the Government. It will have to come to Government. It will go before the Oireachtas. We need a new maternity hospital.

That is agreed.

Well, it is not agreed, because it has gone on for years, and the pace of construction of new hospitals has not been the strongest area, to be straight about it. Many hospitals that have been built have taken an inordinate amount of time to commission and develop, with arguments about them. I remember that Tallaght hospital took an inordinate length of time back in the 1980s or 1990s. There is another side to this story as well. I do not think that women are being well served by the conditions and the quality. I am not speaking of the clinicians but of the current physical surroundings.

Thank you, Taoiseach. The time is up. I call Deputy Cairns.

I thank the Taoiseach for confirming the process.

I have called Deputy Cairns.

I hope the Taoiseach is aware that Cork has the worst children's disability services in the country. Families are not coping seeing their children deteriorate with the lack of services. There are no words for the suffering families are enduring, not to mind the State’s neglect of children with disabilities. Progressing disability services has failed. Children are worse off than they were before reconfiguration. Not only are these children’s rights being denied, their capacity to live full, independent lives is being removed by the State. A key cause of this is lack of accountability. It is disgraceful that children's disability managers refused to meet the Cork parents' advocacy network and others. Yesterday, we learned these managers also will not meet the Minister of State with responsibility for disability. Where is the accountability? What is the Taoiseach doing in response? In particular, what is he doing to address the disgraceful lack of children’s disability services in Cork?

First, there have been huge advances over time in disability services across the spectrum, in education in particular, compared with how they were. Progressing disability has caused issues in respect of a dilution of services. One of the key areas that need expansion - we have provided the resources - is the provision of therapies. Special needs assistant, SNA, provision, for example, has grown exponentially and dramatically over the years. Resource teaching has grown dramatically over the years. When making an assessment, all that has to be factored in as well. It is the area of therapists and the relationship between progressing disability services and the education services where it is not satisfactory at the moment.

Does the Taoiseach think the management should meet with them?

I have already said I will be meeting with the CEO of the HSE and with the Minister on this shortly.