Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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157. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the review of national maternity services; his views on the recent reports on deaths that occurred in hospitals and the figures contained in the 2014 report of the United Nations Population Fund that placed Ireland with a relatively high rate of maternal mortality in the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47593/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE's National Service Plan 2015 includes a commitment to the undertaking of a review and evaluation of current maternity services. This review will inform a national maternity strategy which will be developed by my Department, in conjunction with the HSE.

In relation to the UN Report referenced, it is recognised that it can be difficult to make international comparisons in relation to maternal mortality because data collection systems vary. However, in an effort to improve the accuracy of our information on maternal deaths in Ireland, a Confidential Maternal Death Enquiry (MDE) system was established in 2009, linking Ireland to the United Kingdom’s Confidential MDE which is considered the gold standard for maternal death enquiries. Therefore Ireland and the UK are virtually unique in having such fully comprehensive reporting systems. Taking full account of the more comprehensive information from the Confidential Maternal Death Enquiry, Ireland has amongst the lowest levels of maternal mortality in the developed world.