Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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1168. To ask the Minister for Health the plans to limit home births to women who live within 30 minutes of a maternity hospital; if his attention has been drawn to reports that this would restrict birthing options for women and families in rural areas and that this also runs contrary to the national maternity strategy’s priority to ensure that “women have access to safe, high quality, nationally consistent, women-centred maternity care”; if he acknowledges that the HSE recommendation to limit home births was developed with no input from midwives, clinicians or women’s health advocates; if he will listen to the calls of an organisation (details supplied) for a reconsideration of this policy by engaging with all stakeholders; and if he will increase investment in maternity services, especially midwife-led services in rural areas and throughout the country generally. [55215/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the National Women and Infants Health Programme leads on the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecological and neonatal services, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly in relation to the issue of the HSE's National Homebirth Service, as soon as possible.

In relation to investment in maternity services, including community-based midwifery services, it is important to note that, under Budgets 2021 and 2022, almost €16m in new development funding was provided for maternity services. This significant level of investment is ensuring the continued implementation of the National Maternity Strategy and the ongoing roll out of the Strategy’s new model of maternity care. 

The investment in 2021/22 is providing for additional WTEs into maternity services, covering a variety of disciplines, including, obstetrics, neonatology, endocrinology, anaesthetics, dietetics, midwifery, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. It is improving access to specialist and allied health services in the maternity care system, as well as further developing community-based midwifery services. It is also improving the infrastructure of our maternity services by providing additional home-from-home birthing suites, upgrades to theatres and wards, as well as providing additional training and supports for maternity staff.