The Dáil will today hear calls for the country's 'maternity crisis' to be urgently addressed.

The Government shouts loudly about helping working mothers, closing the gender pay gap, and supporting the career progression of women, but it is blocking simple measures that could make a real difference.

The public is being asked to lobby the Government to support a plan that would allow parents to split paid maternity leave.

There are calls for parents to be able to share maternity leave.

The National Maternity Hospital (NMH) claims a new inquiry arising over the death of a woman during surgery for an ectopic pregnancy will have a "chilling effect" on the operation of maternity services.

Delays in paying maternity benefit to women due to give birth have been described as “unbelievable and unacceptable” and as “adding to the stress” of parents awaiting a new arrival.

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Ireland is one of just two countries in Europe that reportedly fails to offer mothers ‘decently-paid’ maternity leave.

Almost one in seven mothers who gave birth at Cork University Maternity Hospital last year experienced what is classified as a “clinical incident”.

Health Minister Simon Harris will travel to Cork on Thursday to hear firsthand from hospital consultants why women face inordinate delays accessing treatment for a range of gynaecological conditions, including potential cancers.

The Minister for Health has published a new set of standards for Ireland's maternity services.

A major overhaul of maternity services will give women greater choice when it comes to birth arrangements.

The Health Minister has defended a plan to move the Rotunda Maternity hospital to his constituency in west Dublin.

A HSE review into maternity services at Portlaoise, University Hospital Limerick and the Midland Regional Hospital has recommended a full review of nine out of 28 cases.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has denied Ireland’s maternity services are in crisis, despite revelations the system suffered 67 “extreme incidents” last year, resulting in babies dying or having long-term disabilities.

Internal documents at Cavan General Hospital have revealed increasing fears over patient safety among the maternity unit's senior consultants, dating back a number of years.

A senator has railed against “totally unjust” rules which mean self-employed women are unlikely to get maternity benefit if their baby is born after the 16th week of the year.

The lives of pregnant women and unborn babies are being gambled with due to a “geographic lottery” when it comes to standards in the country’s maternity services.

The hospital a first-time mum chooses for the delivery of her child is likely to have a huge bearing on whether the infant is born naturally or by caesarean section, according to new birth statistics.

A major maternity hospital is being forced to rent hotel rooms for pregnant women because of a lack of beds.

The Mid-Western Health Board today denied reports it may have to turn expectant mothers away from Limerick's only public maternity hospital because of staff shortages.

The Labour party has called for a nationwide audit of maternity facilities in order to address an impending crisis in the sector.

The Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) has blamed a shortage of midwives in the health service for the looming crisis in Irish maternity hospitals.

Consultants at Limerick Regional Maternity Hospital have reportedly warned that they may be forced to turn pregnant women away because staff levels are too low to ensure safe deliveries.