Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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294. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 699 of 26 July 2017, if part of the budget for maternity services was ring-fenced for 2016 or has been ring-fenced for 2017 for expansion of access to 20 week anomaly scans. [40271/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The National Maternity Strategy confirms that all development funding for maternity services will be ring-fenced and allocated through the HSE National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP). The Programme, with its wide remit and dedicated expertise, will facilitate greater oversight and support for service providers and will ensure the appropriate allocation and targeting of new resources.

The National Maternity Strategy is also very clear that all women must have equal access to standardised ultrasound services. The Strategy will be implemented on a phased basis and this work will be led by the NWIHP. Indeed, the issue of anomaly scanning is a priority issue for the Programme. One of the current challenges to increase access to anomaly scans is the recruitment of ultrasonographers. In this context it is expected that the establishment of maternity networks across hospital groups will assist in developing a sustainable model that ensures that all women within each hospital group can access anomaly scans.

In relation to this particular query, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.