Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire calls for an end to visitor restrictions at maternity hospitals

Thursday, 3 June 2021 07:18

A Cork TD says it's "outrageous" that women are being forced to attend some maternity appointments alone.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire spoke in the Dáil about his own experience of waiting outside Cork University Maternity Hospital while his partner Eimear attended an emergency appointment at the Early Pregnancy Unit in December.

The Sinn Féin Deputy says the risk of allowing two people from the same household into the hospital poses a minimal Covid risk and called on the Health Minister to allow partners to attend all appointments.

"Hospital staff are vaccinated. Increasingly, pregnant women are vaccinated, and many partners will be before long.

"When a woman has been through all that, God knows how many hours the labour might have been. And when they need to rest, when they need to recuperate, the partner that can help them do that, to allow little things like a shower, like a rest, has to leave, has to go out the door.

"You have to stop dragging your heels on this Minister, and force action."