Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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348. To ask the Minister for Health the amount of funding allocated to the national maternity strategy since its launch by year, action and activity. [41697/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy - Creating a Better Future Together 2016 - 2026 was published in January 2016. It represents a significant development in the delivery of national maternity policy that will fundamentally change how maternity care is delivered.

In terms of resources provided to the HSE to implement the Strategy, the Deputy may wish to note that €3m development funding was provided for maternity services in 2016, with increased funding of €6.8m provided in 2017. This included funding for additional staff, the development of specialist bereavement teams, the establishment of maternity networks and implementation of Phase 1 of the Maternal and Newborn Clinical Management System. Further development funding of €4.15 million was provided in 2018 and €1m in 2019 to further progress the implementation of the Strategy.

As the HSE National Women & Infants Health Programme is driving the implementation of the Strategy, your query has been referred to the Programme for direct response so that you can be furnished with more specific detail on the actions and activities that have been undertaken to date.

I can also confirm that additional development funding will be provided to the HSE National Women & Infants Health Programme in 2020 to support the continued implementation of the National Maternity Strategy. The funding will enable us to build manpower capacity in maternity services, including the recruitment of additional consultant obstetricians/gynaecologists, in order to provide for the continued roll out of the new model of integrated care.