Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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226. To ask the Minister for Health the funding allocation provided to an organisation (details supplied) for the provision of community and residential neuro-rehabilitation services for persons with acquired brain injuries in each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017 by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44644/17]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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227. To ask the Minister for Health the details of all requests for funding received from a service provider (details supplied) in each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017; the amount sought on each such occasion; the purposes for which moneys were being sought; the dates on which such requests were received; if applications for funding were approved, partially approved or rejected in respect of each, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44645/17]

Finian McGrath (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 226 and 227 together.

My Department administered a National Lottery Discretionary Fund up to and including 2016, from which once-off grants were paid to community and voluntary organisations providing a wide range of health related services. My Department no longer operates a National Lottery Fund. I have included below a table which outlines the applications made by various branches of Acquired Brain Injury Ireland to the fund during the years 2011 - 2016. A list, in tabular form, of all the organisations that received funding in each of these years is available on the Department's website at:

"

As the Deputy's questions also relate to service matters, I have arranged for the questions to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.

National Lottery Applications to Department of Health from Acquired Brain Injury Ireland 2011 - 2016

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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228. To ask the Minister for Health the reason funding was recently cut from an organisation (details supplied); the measures he is taking to tackle low breastfeeding rates here compared to the US, UK and Australia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44646/17]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health and the Health Service Executive are totally committed to increasing breast feeding rates in Ireland.

National health policy, including the Healthy Ireland Framework, the National Maternity Strategy 2016-2026, the National Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016-2025 and the recently published National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 all emphasise the importance of supporting mothers who breastfeed as well as taking action to increase breastfeeding rates in Ireland.

The recent National Strategy for Women and Girls 2017-2020 re-affirmed the commitment to advance public support of breastfeeding, and includes an action to extend provision for breastfeeding breaks under employment legislation (currently available to mothers of children under 6 months).

Regarding the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative ( BFHI) issue, in 2016 the HSE commissioned a research team at TCD to undertake a review of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. One of the key findings of the Review was that there was no difference in breastfeeding rates in hospitals that had achieved the Baby Friendly designation, and those that hadn’t achieved designation. In fact, while the Initiative has been in place for 20 years, only 9 of the 19 maternity hospitals have achieved the Baby Friendly designation. This Review highlighted the need for a revised model of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.

Following completion of the Review, the HSE initiated engagement with The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and other stakeholders on developing a revised model. While the HSE has made the decision to pause the existing initiative and it is not being funded for 2017.

The HSE are currently progressing the development of a revised model, working with the National Women and Infants Programme, the HSE Health and Wellbeing Division, the HSE Lead Midwife and other key stakeholders. The revised model will continue to support the implementation of the WHO/UNICEF 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, which is the basis of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. The revised model is expected by the end of the year and will be rolled out in 2018.

A wide range of other actions are underway in implementing the HSE National Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016-2020. These include:

- Improved Governance and health service structures;

- Breastfeeding training and skills development;

- Health service policies and practices;

- Support at all stages of the breastfeeding continuum; and

- Research, monitoring and evaluation.

Details of specific actions can be seen in the HSE National Breastfeeding Action Plan 2016-2020 on the HSE website breastfeeding.ie and here is the link

www.breastfeeding.ie/Uploads/breastfeeding-in-a-healthy-ireland.pdf.