Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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605. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether the national maternity strategy will be implemented in time and on budget. [18147/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating A Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 - will be implemented on a phased basis. Implementation will be led by the newly established National Women & Infants Health Programme; the Programme is drawing up a detailed action plan to inform this process. This work includes 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 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 will be provided for maternity services in 2017 which will allow for the continued implementation of the Strategy.