Joan and John Mulcair, from Limerick, welcomed daughter Caoimhe six years ago, but she passed away less than an hour after her birth.
The heartbroken Mulcairs brought a case against the HSE, claiming that staff at their local maternity hospital failed to react to warning signs on monitoring equipment. They also believe that labour should have been interrupted in order to deliver Caoimhe by Caesaean-section.
While staff always denied declarations stating that Caoimhe’s heartbeat was abnormal, official evidence provided in the court case indicated that there was a lack of blood and oxygen supply to the baby’s brain.
During yesterday’s inquest a verdict of medical misadventure was made, and the HSE’s legal representation went on to issue a full apology to the Mulcairs – however, for them, the apology simply was not enough.
Describing their legal ordeal as “a total disgrace”, Mr Mulcair said that the apology came “six years too late”.
Addressing those directly involved in the proceedings, he said that they “should be ashamed of themselves for putting an ordinary, decent family through the pain and torment” of the past six years.
