Vol. 493 No. 3
277 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, taken to date on the implementation and monitoring of the recommendations and targets set out in A National Breastfeeding Policy for Ireland; whether this document can be seen as an integral part of a national health strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15838/98]
278 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, taken or under consideration by his Department in relation to the promotion of the breastfeeding option; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15839/98]
279 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, there are in his Department to resource and facilitate the development of community breastfeeding promotion programmes in schools, colleges and workplaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15840/98]
280 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, he proposes to take to provide more support and resources for the promotion of breastfeeding to hospital midwives, public health nurses and organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15841/98]
I propose to take Questions No. 277, 278, 279 and 280 together.
The promotion of breastfeeding continues to be a priority for my Department and the need to increase its incidence is referred to in the national breastfeeding strategy, the health strategy "Shaping a healthier future" and the health promotion strategy. Subsequent to the launch of the national breastfeeding strategy in 1994 a departmental working group was set up. This group liaised with the health boards and encouraged them to set in place structures to facilitate breastfeeding, primarily through the establishment of representatives in each health board area who are responsible for breastfeeding promotion.
The national lifestyles survey currently being undertken for my Department by the Centre for Health Promotion Studies in University College Galway also includes a component on breastfeeding which will provide my Department with detailed data on patterns and incidence of breastfeeding. It has generally been recognised that the immediate support of health professionals is essential to achieving an increase in the incidence of breastfeeding. The encouragement and advice of this group is critical as they help expectant mothers form opinions both during pregnancy and immediately after birth. For these reasons, the health promotion unit of my Department provided funding for the production of a training pack for health professionals which was developed in conjunction with the Centre for Health Promotion Studies in University College Galway and An Bord Altranais. This pack provides health professionals with the necessary expertise to encourage and assist mothers with breastfeeding and has been widely disseminated.
