Rotunda reports fall in non-national late pregnancy arrivals

The number of non-national women presenting themselves at Dublin’s Rotunda Maternity Hospital in the latter stages of pregnancy has reportedly fallen to almost zero.

Reports this morning said the master of the Rotunda, Dr Michael Geary, had indicated that the fall had taken place since the Government’s controversial referendum on citizenship rights.

That referendum removed the automatic right to citizenship from all babies born in Ireland.

Dr Geary was criticised ahead of the referendum due to submissions he made to the Government about the issue of non-national women presenting in the late stages of pregnancy.

There were claims that these women were deliberately coming to Ireland just before the birth of their children in order to gain citizenship for the child and residency for themselves.