Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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1127. To ask the Minister for Health the reason there are no institutionalised referral pathways from Irish hospitals to the specialist counselling and information services provided by the IFPA to women who have received a diagnosis of fatal foetal abnormality; the steps he will take to institute such official referral pathways in view of the fact that, as it stands, women do not receive essential information (details supplied) from hospitals and are referred to the IFPA's information service on an entirely ad hoc basis. [24868/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Bereavement care must be an integral part of any maternity service. Accordingly, the National Maternity Strategy - Creating a Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 recognises the importance of improving and standardising bereavement care throughout maternity services. The Strategy supports the implementation of the HSE National Standards for Bereavement Care following Pregnancy Loss and Perinatal Death, which I launched last month.

I am pleased that the standards will ensure that clinical and counselling services will be in place to support women and their families in all pregnancy loss situations, from early pregnancy loss to perinatal death, as well as situations where there is a diagnosis of foetal anomaly that may be life limiting or fatal. I trust that they will ensure that all families who have the terrible experience of a pregnancy-related bereavement will receive the care and compassion they need.

Under the Health Act 2004, the HSE is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to the specific service issue raised.