Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Health
Departmental Budgets
Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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1323. To ask the Minister for Health how the €2 million additional funding for the National Maternity Strategy in Budget 2025 will be spent. [46289/24]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Investment of €2 million announced for Budget 2025 (with a Full Year Cost of €4 million in 2026) has been allocated for the continued implementation of the National Maternity Strategy into 2025 and beyond. The priorities covered by this Budget 2025 funding include:
- Additional Specialist Midwives to enhance women’s access to midwife-led care.
- Driving improvements in the safety of our maternity services through research, audit and new clinical guidelines.
- Recruiting more genetic counsellors and supporting staff to expand a new National Perinatal Genomics Service; evaluating, diagnosing, managing and treating anomalies before birth.
- Delivering 4 new Postnatal Hubs, to provide women with access to postnatal care in the community and away from a hospital environment.
Separately, €0.9 million New Development Funding has also been allocated for breastfeeding supports. This funding will enable recruitment of an additional five lactation consultants and purchase of breast pumps for mothers of critically ill and pre-term infants.
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