On 18 January, I raised my concerns regarding inconsistencies in a review of nine cases of haemorrhage where newborn babies suffered bleeding between their skills and scalps during birth in University Hospital Galway in 2022. I sought immediate publication of the report and a transparent review of incidents of this type. When she responded, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, said she would bring my concerns back to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and ask him to respond in writing. I am still awaiting that response. However, I tabled six parliamentary questions on this inquiry. In total, I got a six-sentence answer in response to all of those questions. The questions were longer than the reply. At the HSE forum last week, my colleague Councillor Evelyn Parsons was told by the Saolta group that it will not be publishing the report. The approach here runs contrary to the law we passed last year on open disclosure mandating such transparency. When will this report be published?

The HSE has advised that the results of the review and the details of the individual cases were discussed and shared with the families involved in November and December 2023. That would cover the issue of open disclosure. I am advised the decision to publish the report widely rests with the Saolta University Health Care Group, but I see no reason why it could not be published - in anonymised form - with the agreement of the people involved. It is important to state that the audit did not find any specific issue of concern and was carried out for good reasons.