Protest planned in Cork over 'restrictive 30-minute' homebirth proposal

The protest is against the exclusion of rural women from the choice of homebirth. File picture

A protest against a proposed change to homebirth regulations, which campaigners say will exclude women in rural areas from being able to give birth at home, is planned for Cork on Sunday

A proposed recommendation to limit homebirths nationally to women living within 30 minutes of a maternity unit has sparked concerns among advocates and service users. The 30 minutes refers to the time needed for an ambulance to reach the nearest unit with its siren on, the HSE has said.