Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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146. To ask the Minister for Health the way in which he proposes to fully fund the national maternity strategy; and the funding spent to date in 2017. [4408/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Women & Infants Health Programme will lead the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecology and neonatal services, strengthening such services by bringing together work that is currently undertaken across primary, community and acute care.

In leading the implementation of Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016-2026- the Programme will draw up a detailed action plan that will inform the full implementation of the Strategy on a phased basis; this work will include the identification of both capital and revenue funding requirements which will in turn inform the annual Estimates process over the lifetime of the Strategy.

€3 million in development funding provided for maternity services in 2016 was allocated in line with the Strategy, and included funding for additional staff, including 100 midwives, the development of specialist bereavement teams and for the implementation of the Maternal and Newborn Clinical Management System. Increased funding of €6.8m being provided for maternity services in 2017 will allow for the continued implementation of the Strategy. In relation to the query about expenditure to date in 2017, as this is an operational matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.