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Greens
Pledge to Amend
1970 Health Act to Ensure the Right to Homebirth
6
November 2003
The Green Party today pledged that they would amend Section 62
of the 1970 Health Act in order to ensure all women, regardless
of their financial
circumstances, would have the right to homebirth.
Party
Chairman and Health spokesperson, John Gormley, T.D., said the
Supreme Court Decision was further evidence of the two tiered
health system. Mr Gormley raised the issue on Tuesday evening
in the Dáil and today on the Order of Business.
"The
Green Party is committed to freedom of choice and equality of
access to the health service. Yesterday's Supreme Court judgement
is further evidence of our two tiered health system. The Green
Party will shortly introduce a Private Members Bill to amend section
62 of the 1970 Health Act. This will ensure that there can be
no ambiguity about the type of midwifery services available to
women. We will ensure that women regardless of their financial
circumstances have the right to homebirth. In our view homebirth
offers many advantages and should be encouraged, but instead the
trend towards more hospital births and towards greater centralisation
prevails."
"It
is astounding to think that in 1973 there were 108 maternity units
in this country. This number has now been reduced to 22 maternity
units with an existing Department of Health recommendation to
close up to 12 of these. Almost 40% of all Irish babies are born
in the three major maternity hospitals in Dublin. This places
huge pressures on midwives and resources, which results in a more
interventionist approach to birth. We will continue to work with
those who would like to see less intervention and with the growing
number of people who advocate homebirths," Mr Gormley
said.
Supreme
Court Home Birth
Ruling is ‘Regrettable’ Says Gormley
Information
John Gormley TD
Telephone: 618 3019
Mobile: 087 275 6135
Press Officer
Stephen Rawson
Telephone: 618 4088
Mobile: 087 235 7551
For
further details, please call:
Home Birth Association
Krysia Lynch-Rybaczuk
Telephone: 01 660 3499
Mobile: 087 754 3751
Independent Midwife ERHA
Philomena Canning
Telephone: 01 495 1902
Mobile: 087 290 0017
National Birth Alliance
Marie O’Connor
Telephone: 01 838 8168
Mobile: 087 918 2722
©
National Birth Alliance
An Chomhghuallaiocht Naisiunta Breithe
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