Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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911. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which adequate provision can be made in the short term to deal with various aspects of women’s health with a view to ensuring minimum waiting times, early diagnosis and a rapid response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8422/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Improving women’s health outcomes is a key priority for me and this Government. We made a strong commitment to Promoting Women’s Health in the Programme for Government and are fully committed to the development and improvement of Women’s Health services and to working with women and girls to improve their health across the whole life cycle.

The commitment to Women’s Health has been reflected within Budget 2022, in the allocation of €31 million for new development funding to specifically support women’s health.

Budget 2022 will:

- Invest almost €9 million additional funding to ensure continued implementation of the National Maternity Strategy into 2022 and beyond, building on the significant investment in 2021

- Continue improvements in our gynaecology services by establishing a further 6 ambulatory gynaecology "see and treat" clinics, bringing the total to 20 clinics nationally. This will complete the implementation of the Ambulatory Gynaecology Model of Care.

- Investment to fund access to contraception for women aged 17-25 

- Support further developments in menopause care by increasing the number of specialist menopause clinics from 1 clinic to 4 clinics nationally

- Increase investment in sexual assault treatment units 

- Invest in tackling period poverty for the first time 

- Funding for the establishment of a new Obstetric Event Support Team

- Funding to establish a perinatal genetics service

- Build on initiatives started in 2021, by further expanding specialist endometriosis services for more complex cases across two centres

- Invest an additional €5 million into the Women’s Health Fund to fund innovative new approaches to women’s health services nationwide

In addition, a further €16m in other measures to support women's health has been embedded within other new measures for 2022 within the Health Vote in areas such as cancer, mental health and social inclusion budgets, bringing the overall investment in women's health to €47m in additional funding provided for 2022.

A Women’s Health Action Plan for 2022-2023 is currently being finalised and is expected to be brought before Government in the coming weeks.  

The Women’s Health Fund was established in 2020 with a €5 million allocation in Budget 2021. The additional €5 million funding allocated to this Fund in Budget 2022 will allow us to continue to provide specific targeted funding on improving women’s health outcomes and experiences in Ireland.

In 2021, the Women’s Health Fund invested in a number of projects with this aim, including:

- Establishment of two ‘see-and-treat- Ambulatory Gynaecology Clinics under the governance of Tallaght University Hospital and University Maternity Hospital Limerick, respectively.

- Expansion of the pre-existing Endometriosis Clinic in Tallaght University Hospital

- Expansion of the Pelvic Floor Centre in St. Michael’s Hospital.

- The recruitment of an additional Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the Rotunda Hospital.

- Establishment of a Specialist Menopause Clinic in the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street.

- Additional expertise to be resourced for Specialist Eating Disorder Supports Teams in Dublin, Cork and Kerry.

- Enhanced Specialist Perinatal Mental Health Supports across maternity hospitals nationally.

This complements existing activity underway within my Department which proactively supports women’s health and access to service both in general and targeted ways:

- The Sláintecare Implementation Strategy & Action Plan 2021-2023 was approved by Government in May 2021. The new Strategy builds on the progress of Sláintecare reform to date and on the lessons learned from COVID-19. It aims to ensure that people can get timely care as close to their own homes as safely as possible and will focus on prevention initiatives to promote health and well-being. It will also support those requiring more targeted health and social care interventions through a population planning approach and will progress the vision of universal healthcare. A mid-year progress report on implementation of the Strategy & Action Plan was published on 10 September 2021.

- On 11th May 2021, funding of €1.58m was announced to provide an additional 24 Lactation Consultants across hospital and community settings, that are required to implement the National Breastfeeding Action Plan and ensure timely skilled assistance for mothers who wish to breastfeed.

- Four of the six new Regional Fertility Hubs under Phase One of the Model of Care for Infertility are operational, with the final two due to become operational in 2022.

- In 2021, Sláintecare and Healthy Ireland, working with the HSE and local authorities and community agencies, launched the Sláintecare Healthy Communities Programme to provide increased health and well-being services in 19 community areas across Ireland where health and well-being risk factors may be particularly concentrated.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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912. To ask the Minister for Health if cervical health checks will be repeated every two years in order to ensure best opportunities for early diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8423/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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913. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which the BreastCheck service will be extended with a view to early detection and diagnosis of particular reference to younger women with a medical history in respect of breast cancer in their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8424/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer diagnosed in women in Ireland, and breast cancers related to a familial risk can arise at a younger age than in the general population.

The HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) established a Hereditary Cancer Programme in 2012 in response to advances in diagnostics and an increasing demand for services. St. James’s Hospital and Crumlin Children’s Hospital provide risk assessment, genetic counselling and genetic testing services for patients with a possible cancer predisposition gene, including the BRCA (BReast CAncer) gene.

The majority of referrals to this service are healthy individuals concerned about their genetic predisposition to cancer. Those who are tested and found to carry a gene mutation are offered strategies to reduce their risk. Depending on the type of cancer, this may involve surveillance, drug treatment, surgery, or a combination of these.

Furthermore, the NCCP has established a Family History of Breast Cancer working group. The aim of this working group is to develop a standardised national approach to the management of people who have a family history of breast cancer. This will include referral from primary care, assessment of the patients’ individual risk based on their family history, and a recommended surveillance schedule.

With regards to the BreastCheck screening programme, it is important to emphasise that screening is for healthy people who do not have symptoms. People who are between screening appointments, or who are waiting for a rescheduled appointment, are aware of symptoms, or if they have concerns or worries, are advised to contact their GP, who will arrange appropriate follow-up care.