Holles Street births: More than 8,300 babies were born at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin last year, making it the busiest year since 1983.
In total, 8,318 babies were born in Holles Street last year, a 1 per cent increase on 2003.
The then Master, Dr Declan Keane, said despite the level of activity, the perinatal mortality rate was 5.1 per thousand, with the rate corrected for malformations being 3.5 per thousand. "This is the lowest rate in the history of the hospital and is a testimony to all the midwifery, clinical and paramedical staff of the hospital," he said.
Dr Keane said the forecasts were that by 2011 the number of women expected to be attending the hospital would exceed 9,500. "This is unacceptable to this hospital in its current location without major infrastructural deficits."
Dr Keane said it was for this reason that the hospital "made the bold, if unpopular decision to restrict its bookings in 2005 during the busy summer months."
He said Holles Street had spent the seven years of his tenure negotiating with the Department of Health, the old Eastern Health Board, and now the Health Services Executive (HSE) on the need to move.
"We have been met with masterly inactivity and profound procrastination," he said. "The Department of Health and the Minister will have to make the decision to properly fund this hospital to carry out its regional and national responsibilities or else the hospital and its board will continue to make difficult decisions on booking restrictions."
Of the 8,000-plus babies born, the majority (8,122) were single babies, two were triplets, and 122 were twins.
Dr Keane, who was handing over to his successor Dr Michael Robson, said during his seven-year stint, the average increase in the birth rate had been 7 per cent per annum.
During the year, the caesarian rate had been 17 per cent, a slight increase on 2003. Dr Keane said the figure remained low by national and international standards "and contradicts the view that perinatal mortality and morbidity rates can't be kept low with corresponding low caesarian rates".
He said unfortunately one mother had died at the hospital last year.
This was due to a massive haemorrhage in the woman's placenta.