Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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609. To ask the Minister for Health the policy that is in place to ensure the benefits of breastfeeding are highlighted to new mothers. [14696/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health ’s Breastfeeding Strategic Action Plan (2005) has as its mission statement "to improve the nation’s health by ensuring that breastfeeding is the norm for infants and young children". The protective role of breastfeeding extends beyond childhood and is important in the prevention of obesity and chronic diseases in adulthood, including hypertension and diabetes.

A key goal of the Strategic Action Plan is that all families have the knowledge, skills and support to make and carry out informed infant feeding decisions, particularly those least likely to breastfeed.

To achieve this the HSE has a National Breastfeeding Co-ordinator and a multi-disciplinary National Breastfeeding Strategy Implementation Committee oversees the implementation of breastfeeding strategy and initiatives. The National Breastfeeding Strategy Implementation Committee have helped facilitate initiatives such as, evidence based breastfeeding policies implemented across the HSE; improvements in breastfeeding education and training; development of breastfeeding education resources; development of guidelines on supporting and protecting breastfeeding in public places; and the protection of breastfeeding through changes in maternity protection legislation and workplace initiatives.

Staff within HSE maternity and paediatric services and primary care are committed to the promotion, support and protection of breastfeeding. The HSE Infant Feeding Policy for Maternity and Neonatal Services is based on the Baby Friendly 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeedingand is the policy of all 19 maternity units. All 19 maternity units participate in the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and there are 8 designated Baby Friendly Hospitals. Breastfeeding is promoted to all expectant mothers in the antenatal period at maternity hospitals and in primary care. Mothers are offered support to breastfeed following birth. Care is provided by public health nurses in the community following discharge from maternity hospital and individualised care plans are developed for mothers. Over 200 breastfeeding support groups are provided by the HSE and HSE funded voluntary breastfeeding organisations around the country.

The HSE launched the first phase of its national breastfeeding campaign ‘Every Breastfeed Baby Makes a Difference’and promotes an annual National Breastfeeding Week.

The HSE website is the primary route for providing information, advice and support to women thinking about breastfeeding and those who are breastfeeding. Feedback from year-roundsearch and displayadvertising ensures that awareness of the campaign and the invitation to visit the website reaches the target audience.

HSE breastfeeding information materials including the booklet ‘Breastfeeding – a good start in life’was developed in partnership with Baby Friendly Hospitals Initiative, La Leche League, Association of Lactation Consultants, CUIDIÚ and Friends of Breastfeeding. It forms part of the HSE Healthy Pregnancy Pack which is distributed widely through maternity hospitals and GPs and over 80,000 are distributed annually.

A recent review of the Breastfeeding Strategic Action Plan has highlighted supports being implemented. These include policies to guide good practice and monitoring within HSE maternity services; enhancements in training for public health nurses and midwives; the expansion of appropriately trained community-led peer support programmes; the development of media messages to promote breastfeeding; and the development readily available information including the national breastfeeding website.