Protestors have gathered outside maternity hospitals around the country.
They're campaigning for an end to Covid restrictions.
The demonstrations have been organised by the advocacy group AIMS.
So it wants partners to be allowed to attend all scans and all stages of labour.
AIMS also wants a nationwide approach to maternity care.
That's as opposed to the current system, where each hospitals gets to choose it's restrictions.
Spoke with @SeanMoncrieff about the restrictions on partners in maternity settings. I went through the most traumatic experience of my life without my partner by my side. So many mothers and fathers have suffered. #ButNotMaternity #WhoseNeedsAreBeingMet
https://t.co/c2djGxb9JS— Cllr Catherine Stocker (@CatzStocker) May 10, 2021
"We Can't Understand" Why There's Different Rules
The founder of AIMS Jene Hynes is at the protest at Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda, Co. Louth,.
"Drogheda's doing quite well, they've lifted quite a few restrictions."
"There's still a way to go but we have to acknowledge what they've done."
"This is a regional hospital, there's 19 maternity hospitals in the country."
"We just can't understand how there isn't a uniform approach for every person giving birth."
Minister Stephen Donnelly says there’s no reason that all restrictions on maternity visitation shouldn’t be lifted unless there are local safety issues in individual hospitals that are explained to the HSE pic.twitter.com/oP6qn2jOUU
— Seán Defoe (@SeanDefoe) May 11, 2021
Health Minister Weighs In
Meanwhile, Stephen Donnelly says there's only one specific situation where they should be in place:
"The restrictions should be lifted in all cases except if there's a compelling local reason to have them in place."
