The Department of Health’s secretary general failed to tell Health Minister Simon Harris of serious concerns over the independence of the new national maternity hospital when they were raised in May 2016.

A project on fertility awareness by three innovative teenage boys found a lack of knowledge among their peers and even their teachers, writes Helen O’Callaghan.

Munster will press ahead with this weekend’s Champions Cup match with Glasgow in spite of having to modify their training schedule this week to allow players and coaches time to sign various books of condolences to coach Anthony Foley.

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Helen O’Callaghan meets a group of women who decided to become solo parents through sperm donation.

Google and Facebook will pay for the process so female employees can delay childbirth and prolong their careers, but is it ethical, asks Sharon Ni Chonchuir.

Should women opt for anonymous, or non-anonymous sperm donors? And should they tell their child how they were conceived? For most it’s an agonising decision, writes Helen O’Callaghan.

As research shows high cholesterol levels can reduce a couple’s chance of conceiving a baby, a leading Irish fertility expert has said up to 40% of his new patients may have fertility problems due to their poor lifestyle.

The issue of male infertility can leave men floundering and uncommunicative but taking a medical and holistic approach can have astonishing results.

Couples struggling to conceive naturally but unable to afford IVF can try a cheaper alternative by taking part in a three-month study using a nutritional supplement which claims to boost fertility.

Cratloe made it through to their first Clare SFC final when they defeated Éire Óg, Ennis 2-8 to 0-9 in the semi-final at Clarecastle yesterday.

A leading medical law expert has described as “unconscionable” and “contrary to the best interests of children”, the Government’s failure to introduce legislation governing fertility treatments.

Accepting the use of donated eggs brings on a classic conflict between head and heart, reports Helen O’Callaghan

CHILD psychologist Patricia Rashbrook was 62 when she had a baby in 2006.

The Personal Insolvency Bill unveiled yesterday by Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Minister for Justice Alan Shatter is designed to reform the country’s outdated bankruptcy laws.

LOOKING back on 2011, the Government will be kicking itself that it has fallen into the trap of repeating the mistakes of the past by failing to take the steps needed to confront the crisis facing the country.

THE Finance Minister has been accused by a Labour TD of driving troubled homeowners like “galley slaves” through the mortgage crisis.

The man who advised the Government on how to deal with the issue of mortgage arrears has said banks will have to engage in some debt forgiveness.

THE Government’s plan to solve the mortgage debt crisis has been criticised as vague and lacking in urgency, amid claims it backtracked on key election promises.

The Government has published the report of the interdepartmental group headed by accountant Declan Keane. It warned that borrowers and lenders must recognise that some of the current mortgage arrangements are unsustainable.

A blanket mortgage debt forgiveness scheme to solve the negative equity crisis would cost €14bn, government advisers have warned.

ENDA KENNY ruled out a blanket debt forgiveness scheme for distressed mortgage holders but pledged that troubled borrowers would not be kicked out of their homes.

New measures aimed at dealing with homeowners struggling with mortgage debt are expected to be discussed by the Government this morning.

AN inquest has heard that a forceps used in a delivery “most probably” caused a skull fracture and bleeding in a newborn boy, who died a week later.

STRUGGLING mortgage holders eager to move home for work purposes may be helped under radical plans being considered by the Government.

Junior Minister at the Department of Finance Brian Hayes has described as "unrealistic" a blanket approach to debt forgiveness for mortgage-holders.

THE Government has played down the possibility of introducing a mortgage debt-relief scheme for struggling homeowners.

WOMEN may be worsening their already slim chances of getting pregnant by having embryos screened for genetic defects before implantation, new research suggests.

COUPLES seeking fertility treatment will be able to check whether clinics are fully licensed under new rules on the quality and safety of human tissue and cells from next year.

The parents of a toddler who died after an operation to repair a congenital heart defect today claimed they were led to believe they had nothing to worry about.

The number of non-EU nationals giving birth in Ireland’s largest maternity hospital has reportedly dropped significantly since the Government’s referendum on citizenship rights.

Presumably the suggestion from a former master of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) that a cap would be put on the number of babies to be delivered there next summer was meant to concentrate the minds of the members of the Government.

HALF of non-EU mothers giving birth at the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) are seeking passports for their children, the hospital’s master said yesterday.

DIRECT evidence of "citizenship tourism" is revealed in documentation obtained by the Irish Examiner.

Documents acquired by the Irish Examiner under the Freedom of Information Act provide evidence that wealthy Arabs and east Europeans are abusing our maternity services as a kind of citizenship bureau to acquire cheap Irish passports for their children.

A UNIQUE fertility website was launched yesterday aimed at Irish couples experiencing difficulties having children.

A website aimed at Irish couples experiencing difficulty having children is due to go online later today.

GIVING birth naturally is better for the health of both the mother and baby rather than opting for a caesarean section, research indicates.

THE National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at Holles Street in Dublin last year recorded the highest number of perinatal deaths for five years, according to its latest annual clinical report.

NOT for the first time, Declan Keane, master of Holles Street maternity hospital in Dublin, has highlighted the amazing statistic (RTÉ radio, September 2) that 20% of current births in Dublin are to non-national mothers.

HEAVILY pregnant women should not be permitted to travel by air or sea to Ireland because of the health risk to both mother and baby, medical experts warned yesterday.

MORE than 500 cancer patients have stored their semen at the Human Assisted Reproduction Ireland Unit at the Rotunda Hospital.

NURSES are being used to prevent a crisis in midwifery care at some of the country’s largest maternity hospitals, the Irish Nursing Organisation said yesterday.