Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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339. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to enhance supports for breastfeeding mothers in Irish maternity units and at home to ensure that mothers who choose to breastfeed are supported in that choice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32008/21]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.

I can confirm however that in May of this year I announced significant investment towards implementing the HSE Breast-feeding Action Plan, with €1.58 million of funding to provide an additional 23.5 lactation consultants across hospital and community settings.