Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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100. To ask the Minister for Health the breakdown of expenditure of the additional €31 million secured in Budget 2022 for women’s health initiatives; if the programmes that are benefitting are on schedule for implementation in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7696/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Health, improving women’s health outcomes is a key priority for me and this Government.

The Women’s Health Fund was established in 2020 with a €5 million allocation in Budget 2021. In Budget 2022, the fund received an additional €5 million which will allow us to continue to invest in women’s health nationwide.

To date, I have announced a number of investments made through the Women’s Health Fund such as funding for community-based Ambulatory Gynaecology Services and for enhanced endometriosis services for more complex cases. Both of which are on track for implementation in 2022, along with a number of other significant projects funded through the Women’s Health Fund in 2021.

Other than the Women’s Health Fund, there are a number of key initiatives that I am happy to see allocated funding through Budget 2022.

€8.66m has been allocated to the National Maternity Strategy for 2022, which builds on the significant investment of €7.3m allocated in 2021. This funding will permit the recruitment of an additional 99.5 WTEs into maternity services, the development of two Postnatal Hubs and the continued implementation of the National Maternity Strategy. The National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) has completed its engagement with all maternity units and prioritisation of posts to be recruited is currently being finalised. The Programme continues to engage with the Hospital Groups to ensure that planned developments in maternity services remain on schedule.

Aligning with the priorities set out in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, we will see the roll out of a free contraception programme for women and girls aged 17-25, expected to commence in August 2022, at a cost of approximately €9 million. The scheme will include the full range of contraceptive options already available to GMS (medical) card holders, two GP visits per year, and any necessary fitting, removal and check-up appointments required for long-acting reversible contraception.

A significant portion of the overall investment has been allocated to the continued investment in significant service developments, such as ambulatory gynaecological services.

Budget 2022 provided €3.31m to facilitate the establishment of the final six ambulatory gynaecology clinics, which will bring the total number of such clinics around the country to 20. This will complete the implementation of the Ambulatory Gynaecology Model of Care. I am advised that NWIHP has completed its engagement with the relevant hospitals in relation to these clinics and has indicated that these developments are on schedule.

Similarly, with an investment of €0.58 million, further developments will be made in menopause care through the development of three new specialist menopause clinics based in Galway, Cork and Limerick respectively. This follows on from the establishment of the first such clinic in the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street last year. The operationalisation of the new clinics will be dependent on resourcing the necessary staff, however, NWIHP has advised that the engagement with the relevant Hospital Groups in this regard is progressing as planned.

A further €0.25 million has been allocated to Sexual Assault Treatment Units, which will enhance the services provided in this area over the course of 2022.

A portion of this funding, €0.54 million, has been allocated to the establishment of a Obstetric Event Support Team within the National Women and Infants Health Programme, To date, Phase 1 has been rolled out in the Saolta, South/Southwest and UL Hospital Groups, with Phase 2 due to commence in March 2022 covering the remaining Hospital Groups.

Along with continued investment in ongoing development, Budget 2022 commits €0.7 million as a first-time investment in tackling period poverty. Following a call for expressions of interest, my Department is engaging with Local Authorities with regard to period poverty mitigation measures in their areas. Planning in partnership with HSE Social Inclusion and local community representatives has commenced with regard to initial roll-out to Travellers and Roma. Engagement with the voluntary sector will commence in the next few weeks.

The remainder of the fund will see us build on initiatives started in 2021, by further extending the complex endometriosis services (€1.39 million) that I mentioned previously along with the commencement of a structured and resourced service in the Dublin and Cork regions for perinatal genetics services (€1.34 million). I understand that NWIHP is engaging with the proposed service providers and this project remains on schedule.

Details on the Women’s Health Taskforce are found at www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/-womens-health/.