Written answers

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Department of Health

Maternity Services

Photo of Ciara ConwayCiara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
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247. To ask the Minister for Health to set out his plans to increase investment in maternity services, including the lifting of the moratorium on employment of perinatal psychiatrists beyond Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7271/14]

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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An additional €1.48m has been provided in the HSE's Service Plan 2014 to target necessary patient centred improvements in maternity care. Looking forward, the proposed National Maternity Strategy, which will be developed by my Department in conjunction with the HSE, will provide the context for any necessary investment in our maternity services in the coming years. The Strategy will provide the strategic direction for the optimal development of our maternity services to ensure that women have access to safe, high quality maternity care, in a setting most appropriate to their needs.

In relation to staff resources, I would like to confirm that there is no embargo in the public health service on the recruitment of midwives or other frontline staff, including perinatal psychiatrists. While the numbers employed across the public service must be reduced in order to meet fiscal and budgetary targets, it is recognised that certain services, such as maternity, are demand led and require specialist staffing. Arrangements are in place in the HSE to allow the recruitment of such staff where it has been established that there is an urgent service requirement.

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