Professor Sean Daly

So she has the contracts with those individuals and they accompany her in labor because that's what she wants.

So we are now looking at a situation where women can engage either of those professions.

I'm not saying anything about them, but they can't engage a consultant.

Well, no, I would really hope that we would move to a situation where we could have continuity of care.

But what that means, Clare, is seeing the same midwife and 40% of our pregnancies are managed through our midwifery service.

And it is fantastic.

So you see the same midwife out in various clinics across North Dublin.

But when you come in in labour, you see a different midwife.

Now, that midwife is a superb professional, but it's a different person.

Oh, God, look, I believe that the minister is doing a good job.

You know, I believe that she has supported the rotunda.

I firmly believe that it's very important for every hospital to develop a relationship with the minister.

I got to meet the minister for the first time shortly after she took up the portfolio of health because she launched the health app from our new publicly funded, fantastic outpatient in Hampstead House.

And at that time, she asked me to bring forward a good information sheet because she had been in contact with women whose babies had ended up in the rotunda for more complex care.

So I went off and I created, with my neonatal colleagues, a welcome pack.

So every couple whose baby ends up in the rotunda now gets a rotunda welcome pack.

And in that pack is an information sheet, toiletries, vouchers for pennies to get T-shirts, vouchers for car parks, hotels, everything.

And she came to launch that.

So the relationship was good then.

And indeed, we had a very successful foetal surgery meeting earlier this year because we're developing a new foetal surgery service in the Rotunda.