Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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769. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the breast-feeding rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21841/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Breastfeeding has been found to contribute to better health and well-being from birth for both mother and infant. The HSE's current figures are that 56% of babies in Ireland are breastfeeding on discharge from maternity hospitals.

In 2005 the Department of Health’s Breastfeeding Strategic Action Plan was developed to provide for more effective promotion, support and protection for breastfeeding in Ireland. In order to achieve this the HSE appointed a National Breastfeeding Co-ordinator and a multi-disciplinary National Breastfeeding Strategy Implementation Committee to oversee the implementation of breastfeeding strategy and initiatives.

In 2013, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland was engaged to conduct a Review and Evaluation of the Strategic Action Plan. The Review concluded that the most significant achievements of implementation related to:

- the development of standardised policy to guide consistent service development and monitoring within HSE maternity services;

- enhancements in training for nurses and midwives;

- the expansion of appropriately trained community-led peer support programmes;

- the development of continually refined media messages to promote breastfeeding;

- the development of more consistent and readily available information including the national breastfeeding website.

The review highlighted areas where more work needs to be done. A core issue related to fostering greater engagement with the issue across a variety of sectors and investing in community level as well as health service-led approaches. The other priority themes proposed for future action related to enhancements in messaging, training, community support, maternity service staffing, antenatal care and education, managing commercial interests and breastfeeding education in schools.

All 19 maternity units participate in the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative as organised by the World Health Organisation. The HSE also promotes an annual National Breastfeeding Week and provides the website as a resource for supporting women in breastfeeding. The HSE is developing a Breastfeeding Action Plan 2015 - 2020 in response to the review and there will be a national consultation day.