Maternity hospitals warn over late arrivals

THE number of expectant non-national mothers presenting to one of Dublin’s three maternity hospitals in the very late stages of pregnancy has increased since last year’s citizenship referendum.

Coombe Women’s Hospital revealed yesterday that in the first six months of this year, 24 non-Irish women presented in the final seven days, a rise of four on the same period in 2004.

However, a second hospital said the number arriving at a late dangerously late stage has dropped to “almost zero” this year.

There has also been a dramatic decline in the numbers arriving at the Rotunda Hospital in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

“This has palpably been felt on the ground by the staff,” said Dr Mike Geary, Master of the Rotunda Hospital.

“What I can tell is that very clearly that the number of women arriving at the start of labour or straight off the plane has dwindled to almost zero,” said Dr Geary.

On January 1, the law changed, stripping children born on the island of an automatic right to citizenship. The law was brought in after the June 2004 citizenship referendum when four out of five people voted in favour of a change to the constitution.

The issue of late arrivals was raised repeatedly in the run up to the referendum. It was claimed that women were arriving in Ireland to have babies in order to secure residency on the basis of having an Irish born child.

Staff had to deal with mothers presenting at a critical stage and without details of medical history.

However, the debate was notable for the lack of figures and by some supporters in the “yes” camp linking the total number of births to non-nationals to dangerously late arrivals.

Figures published after the referendum showed there were 4,625 babies born to non-Irish mothers in 2003.

The second highest number of non-Irish births, after Nigerians, were to British women. Approximately 300 women arrived at the hospitals within 21 days of the birth, just over 100 in the critical final week.

Dr Geary said his hospital continues to admit a high percentage of non-nationals, approximately 20 to 25% of more than 6,500 births. Apart from a handful, they are turning up early in the pregnancy.

In line with overall figures, there has been a decrease in births to mothers who have lodged asylum claims while the high number of migrants from the ten accession countries partly explains the increase.

Children born to mothers of any nationality before January 1 are Irish citizens by right. Close to 18,000 parents of these children have applied for residency.

Of the applications processed, 11,200 have been successful and 165 refused, of which none have been deported.

The Department of Justice has said this does not amount to an amnesty as each application is dealt with on a case by case basis.

Sarah Benson, of the Campaign Against the Deportation of Irish Children, said 34 children left the country with their deported parents between February 2003, when the Supreme Court ruled parents could be deported, and December 31 this year.

The group is campaigning for the children to be returned to Ireland and the parents allowed to apply for residency.