Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
569. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health the funding that was provided to the National Maternity Strategy in each year from 2016 and to date in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22450/24]
View answerA total of €25.65m in new development funding has been invested from 2016-2022 through the National Maternity Strategy. This has enabled the recruitment of over 500 full-time staff across the country.
Progressing women's health is a top priority for this Government who have provided significant funding for gynaecology, for endometriosis services, for screening and for menopause supports. There has also been investment in women's mental health services, including perinatal mental health.
The implementation of the Maternity Strategy's Model of Care is providing more choice for women. All 19 maternity services now offer the midwife-led supported care pathway. Each maternity service now has a lactation consultant and a bereavement team.
Postnatal hubs have been established in Kilkenny, Kerry, Cork, Portiuncula, and in Sligo with funding provided for two more additional hubs in 2024. These hubs are providing postnatal care within the community; a priority identified by women in the National Maternity Experience Survey and in our Sláintecare objectives.
Funding provided through the Maternity Strategy is providing for additional home-from-home birthing suites. It is also enabling upgrades to theatres and wards.
We are establishing a National Perinatal Genomics Service; evaluating, diagnosing, managing and treating anomalies before birth.
Furthermore, through Strategy funding, a maternity network has been set up within each Hospital Group to provide leadership and support. Training and education supports have been strengthened for maternity staff.
All these many new developments are supporting improved choice for women. They provide safe, high quality, nationally consistent, woman-centred maternity care.
New development funding provided to the National Maternity Strategy in each year from 2016 to present can be found in tabular format below.
|
Year |
National Maternity Strategy Funding (€ million) |
|
2016 |
3.0 |
|
2017 |
- |
|
2018 |
4.2 |
|
2019 |
1.0 |
|
2020 |
1.5 |
|
2021 |
7.3 |
|
2022 |
8.7 |
|
2023 |
- |
|
2024 |
- |
New development funding has also been provided to support maternity services through the Women's Health Fund, entailing:
|
2022 |
€3 million |
|
2023 |
€0.9 million |
|
2024 |
€1.2 million |
The increases in staff, and this overall investment, is improving women’s experience of our maternity services every day.
