Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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657. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider, as part of his maternity review, the establishment of a number of perinatal hospice care centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21371/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is currently developing a National Maternity Strategy which will seek to ensure that women have access to safe, high quality maternity care in a setting most appropriate to their needs. While the issue of perinatal hospice care is outside the scope of the Strategy, I would like to draw the attention of the Deputy to the Palliative Care For Children with Life-Limiting Conditions in Ireland - A National Policy, which was published by my Department in March 2010. The policy places significant emphasis on caring for children in their own homes rather than recommending the development of a children's hospice. With regard to perinatal services, the best location of care is within the maternity or paediatric setting.

The HSE is working to ensure that quality palliative care is available to all those who need it. In that regard, the HSE’s Acute Hospitals Division, in partnership with the Clinical Palliative Care Programme, the Primary Care Division and the Irish Hospice Foundation, has recently commenced a programme of work to support general, maternity and paediatric hospitals to develop comprehensive plans for palliative, end-of-life and bereavement care. Each maternity unit will identify how it can best support the palliative care needs of parents and their babies. It is considered that this approach is preferable to establishing a very limited number of separate services.

A programme of care for children with life-limiting conditions has been established including the appointment of a Paediatric Consultant with a Special Interest in Palliative Care, based in Crumlin. As well as supporting other paediatricians, the Consultant also provides clinical support and advice to maternity hospitals and neonatologists. Eight Children’s Outreach Nurses have also been appointed, and a further two nurses will be appointed this year.