Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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569. To ask the Minister for Health when all 19 maternity units will have a whole time or whole time equivalent perinatal mental health midwife specialist in place in view of the fact that the national maternity strategy set out a commitment to improve perinatal mental health services [17971/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 - aims to ensure that appropriate care pathways are in place in order that mothers, babies and families get the right care, at the right time, by the right team and in the right place. Similarly, it recognises that, while all pregnant women need a certain level of support, some will require more specialised care. Accordingly it proposes an integrated model of care that will be provided by a multidisciplinary team.

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. The Programme will also lead the implementation of the Strategy, which will take place on a phased basis. To this end, 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.

I am advised that perinatal mental health is recognised as a priority by the HSE Mental Health Division. In 2016, work commenced on scoping the need for perinatal mental health services nationally, and, in 2017, this prioritisation has continued. Indeed, one of the priority aims of HSE National Service Plan 2017 is the design and development of perinatal mental health services capacity. I have asked the HSE to provide you with further information on that work.