About time.

During the course of the pandemic, fathers and partners of pregnant women have not been allowed into maternity hospitals to attend screenings or appointments.

And maybe even more frustrating to many, often they have had to wait outside the hospital during the early stages of labour too, all in the name of limiting the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

However, in an attempt to create a new, uniform approach to rules regarding partners attending appointments and births at maternity wards across the country, the Government is set to make an announcement today.

According to RTE News, partners of pregnant women and new mothers will be allowed to accompany them to maternity hospitals for scans and other medical appointments under plans expected.

This comes following a lot of criticism over the past few weeks over different hospitals operating with different sets of rules.

Earlier this week, the Taoiseach told the Dáil that restrictions on partners accompanying women have “proven to be a very difficult issue for many people, and I acknowledge that”.

In response to questions from Labour Party leader Alan Kelly, Micheál Martin explained he would be speaking to the leadership of the Health Service Executive about recommendations from HSE clinical director Dr Peter McKenna that maternity services should be opened and there should be uniformity across the country.