Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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81. To ask the Minister for Health the proportion of mothers that breastfeed their babies; the action the HSE is taking to increase the level of breastfeeding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20754/17]

Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The latest NPRS (HSE, 2016) reported a rate of 56.9% of babies breastfeeding, 46.3% exclusively breastfeeding on discharge from maternity hospitals in 2014.

The breastfeeding figures at first PHN visit and at three months are reported quarterly in the HSE Performance reports. The figures for 2016 were 56.8% at first PHN visit and 38.8% at 3 months.

The Breastfeeding in a Health Ireland Health Service Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016 – 2021 (HSE, 2016) sets out the priority areas to be addressed over the next 5 years to support more mothers in Ireland to breastfeed and to contribute to increases in breastfeeding rates.