National Maternity Strategy

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2017

Tuesday, 20 June 2017

Ceisteanna (1000, 1406, 1407, 1408, 1409, 1410, 1411, 1412, 1413, 1414, 1415, 1416, 1417, 1418, 1419, 1420, 1421, 1422, 1424, 1425, 1426)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1000. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the additional measures which can be taken to ensure that maternity and children's hospitals promote breastfeeding. [28316/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1406. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of IBCLC licensed lactation consultants here; and the number of lactation consultants employed. [28304/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1407. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of hospitals that have a full-time dedicated lactation consultant with IBCLC qualifications. [28305/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1408. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the best modern practice for training paediatricians, public nurses and general practitioners involving breastfeeding. [28306/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1409. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health his plans to ensure that health professionals such as paediatricians, public nurses and general practitioners meet the WHO standard on breastfeeding training. [28307/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1410. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the steps which can be taken to guarantee that health insurances will cover visits by an IBCLC-licensed lactation consultant to ensure mothers can access help for breastfeeding. [28308/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1411. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of hospitals that would pass the baby friendly hospital initiative; and the number that would fail same. [28309/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1412. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the measures which are being taken to ensure that the new maternity hospital at St Vincent’s hospital is promoting breastfeeding. [28310/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1413. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of maternity hospitals here that provide free industrial grade breast pumps for breastfeeding. [28311/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1414. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of maternity hospitals that have industrial grade breast pumps to rent; and the cost to rent the breast pumps. [28312/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1415. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of maternity hospitals that do not have industrial grade breast pumps for breastfeeding. [28313/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1416. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of regional breastfeeding co-ordinators that have been created to keep up with the standards of the 2021 breastfeeding action plan. [28314/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1417. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the way in which the 2021 breastfeeding action plan will be met; and the person or body that has responsibility to make sure the plan is following a proper timeframe for success. [28315/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1418. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health his plans to promote breastfeeding support groups and access to breastfeeding counselling before and after a child is born. [28317/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1419. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the steps which can be taken to promote breastfeeding in educational systems to combat the negative stigma involving breastfeeding. [28318/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1420. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the steps which will be taken to ensure limited promotion of formula food in educational textbooks. [28319/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1421. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the steps which will be taken to eliminate personal bias that some health care professionals have towards the promotion of breastfeeding. [28320/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1422. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health if he will introduce psychological debriefing for health care professionals who need it to ensure they can properly promote breastfeeding. [28321/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1424. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the steps which will be taken to eliminate the negative stigma of lactation consultants in the medical community such as pay gaps or awareness of importance. [28323/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1425. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the steps that will be taken to ensure that women have facilities and time to breastfeed and store breast milk while at work. [28324/17]

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

1426. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the additional measures which will be implemented to ensure working mothers have proper breastfeeding support when returning to the workplace for at least the first year. [28325/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Health

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1000, 1406 to 1422, inclusive, and 1424 to 1426, inclusive, together.

Some of the matters raised by the deputy are largely encompassed in the recent Health Service Executive publication entitled Breastfeeding in a Healthy Ireland: the HSE Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016 - 2021.

This Action Plan sets out the priority areas to be addressed over the next 5 years to improve breastfeeding supports, to enable more mothers in Ireland to breastfeed and to improve health outcomes for mothers and children in Ireland. The Action Plan outlines the actions needed to enhance breastfeeding rates and provide skilled supports to mothers, through our maternity services, hospitals, primary care services and in partnership with voluntary breastfeeding organisations and other stakeholders.

These actions include the implementation of policies at hospital and community level; investment in breastfeeding training and skills development for healthcare staff; the provision of additional lactation specialist posts; and partnership working to promote a culture that accepts and supports breastfeeding. The Action Plan is available at www.breastfeeding.ie/Uploads/breastfeeding-in-a-healthy-ireland.pdf.

I am also pleased to advise the deputy that breastfeeding initiatives are also reflected in the Creating a Better Future Together: National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026. This national strategy emphasised the importance of dedicated staff, such as the HSE National Breastfeeding Coordinator and the wider team of lactation consultants, and statutory and voluntary supports, in promoting and supporting breastfeeding in Ireland. It referred to the National Breastfeeding Coordinator that works with a national committee to oversee the implementation of breastfeeding action plans and monitors progress in relation to breastfeeding targets; liaising with local breastfeeding committees, maternity hospitals, community health services and voluntary breastfeeding organisations.

Initiatives referred to in the national strategy included an annual National Breastfeeding Week, the HSE website www.breastfeeding.ie, and an on-line Ask the Expert support service provided by International Board Certied Lactation Consultants. Other initiatives mentioned included breastfeeding support groups, the development of a breastfeeding competencies framework, and a breastfeeding policy for primary care teams and community healthcare settings.

Moreover, the National Maternity Strategy reiterated that along with practical supports that can be provided to mothers, such as supports to continue breastfeeding on return to the workplace, a broader societal change is required in order to promote a more positive culture around breastfeeding. This should support women to feel condent about their choice to breastfeed. The Maternity Strategy emphasised that this includes engaging extended family members and childminders who, perhaps due to not being aware of the importance of breastfeeding, may not be best informed to support a family’s choice to feed their baby expressed breast milk while in their care. It referred to breastfeeding promotion campaigns that should be tailored and targeted to help the wider community, including family members, childminders and employers, to play their role in improving Ireland’s breastfeeding initiation and duration rates.

I want to also assure the deputy that the recently published Dept. of Justice and Equality National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017 - 2020: creating a better society for all, contains two actions on increasing the proportion of mothers who breastfeed.

One of the actions is to extend provision for breastfeeding breaks under employment legislation (currently available to mothers of children under 6 months). The other action is to implement the HSE National Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016 - 2021 to advance public support of breastfeeding.

Finally, as the range of questions from the deputy relate in the main to service issues, I have arranged for them to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.