Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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374. To ask the Minister for Health if the advertisement for the midwifery lead on the national women and infants health programme was restricted to candidates working exclusively within the HSE that filed an expression of interest; if so, the reason therefor. [21475/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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375. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a post (details supplied) was not subject to the established practice of being advertised nationally and internationally on an equitable basis in order to attract candidates of the best possible calibre. [21476/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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376. To ask the Minister for Health if there was a previous internal advertisement for the post of midwifery lead on the national women and infants health programme; and if so, if this previous advertisement contained a job description and remuneration equivalent to the HSE national obstetric lead. [21477/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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377. To ask the Minister for Health the person or body that was responsible for the decision to exclude eligible national and international candidates outside the HSE from applying for the job of midwifery lead on the national women and infants health programme. [21478/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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378. To ask the Minister for Health if the decision was made to circulate the notice of the job of midwifery lead on the national women and infants health programme internally; and the criteria which was set for internal candidates. [21479/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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379. To ask the Minister for Health the progress to date on recruitment of the midwifery lead on the national women and infants health programme. [21480/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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379. To ask the Minister for Health the progress to date on recruitment of the midwifery lead on the national women and infants health programme. [21480/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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380. To ask the Minister for Health if his department and the HSE will undertake immediately to reopen and advertise the role of midwifery lead on the national women and infants health programme nationally and internationally and at a level equitable to the obstetric lead. [21481/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 to 380, inclusive, together.

The National Women and Infants Health Programme has been established in the HSE to 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 relation to recruitment for the Programme, I understand that a first recruitment process commenced late in 2015 and was unsuccessful at that time. I have been advised that, pending the running of a further recruitment process, and in light of the importance of having a full leadership team in place, an interim appointment has been made for the Director of Midwifery post. I have asked the HSE to reply to the Deputy directly to provide a more detailed reply to these queries.