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Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 June 2018

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Questions (864, 875, 907, 908, 909, 910, 911, 912, 913, 915)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

864. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of ultra sonographers operating in maternity hospitals by community hospital organisation and maternity hospital in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25447/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

875. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of ensuring that maternity hospitals have access to foetal anomaly screening with the requisite staff and equipment; and the estimated cost of employing additional sonographers and other personnel required for rolling out anomaly screening to each of the 19 maternity units. [25478/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

907. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of ultrasound machines in maternity hospitals by community health organisation and individual maternity hospital in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25518/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

908. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the age profile of every ultrasound machine in maternity hospitals by machine and maternity hospital in which it is located in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25519/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

909. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of ultrasound machines in maternity hospitals; the way in which this compares to the number required to meet the Birthrate Plus standard in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25520/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

910. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of ultra sonographers operating in maternity hospitals; the way in which this compares to the number required to meet the Birthrate Plus standard in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25521/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

911. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of foetal medicine experts operating in maternity hospitals; the way in which this compares to the number required to meet the Birthrate Plus standard in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25522/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

912. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of 20 week foetal anomaly scans carried out in maternity hospitals in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by community health organisation and individual maternity hospital in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25523/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

913. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the number of foetal medicine experts operating in maternity hospitals by community health organisation and individual maternity hospital in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25524/18]

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Louise O'Reilly

Question:

915. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of funding and implementing the national maternity strategy; and if a breakdown of spending costs will be provided. [25526/18]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 864, 875, 907 to 913, inclusive, and 915 together.

Implementation of Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 - is being led by the National Women & Infants Health Programme. To this end, the Programme has developed a detailed Implementation Plan which I was pleased to launch in October 2017. The Plan is presented under the Strategy's four strategic priorities and details how each of the 77 actions will be implemented.

The Programme has estimated that full implementation will cost in the region of an additional €80 million revenue funding over the lifetime of the Strategy. Work to identify the precise capital funding requirement is ongoing. The Strategy will be implemented on a phased basis over the coming years and therefore the funding requirement will vary from year to year. In that context, the Implementation Plan will inform the annual Estimates process each year. I can confirm that additional funding of €4.15 million is being provided to the Programme this year for the Strategy.

The Strategy is very clear that all women must have equal access to ultrasound services and additional funding has been made available for that purpose. Indeed, one of the Programme's priorities for 2018 is to increase access to anomaly scans. I understand that the Programme has approved the appointment of an additional 28 ultrasonographers which was the total requirement identified to provide 100% access to anomaly scanning. The Programme is also working with the maternity networks to ensure foetal medicine expertise is available when an anomaly is identified.

In conclusion, I have asked the HSE to reply to you directly on your specific queries concerning maternity-related ultrasonography services and to provide a detailed breakdown of the 2018 €4.15 million allocation for the Strategy.

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