Bríd Smith
Question:1168. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health the plans to limit home births to women who live within 30 minutes of a maternity hospital; if his attention has been drawn to reports that this would restrict birthing options for women and families in rural areas and that this also runs contrary to the national maternity strategy’s priority to ensure that “women have access to safe, high quality, nationally consistent, women-centred maternity care”; if he acknowledges that the HSE recommendation to limit home births was developed with no input from midwives, clinicians or women’s health advocates; if he will listen to the calls of an organisation (details supplied) for a reconsideration of this policy by engaging with all stakeholders; and if he will increase investment in maternity services, especially midwife-led services in rural areas and throughout the country generally. [55215/22]
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