Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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961. To ask the Minister for Health to provide an update on the progress of the implementation of the national maternity strategy. [8056/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Progressing women's health continues to be a top priority for this Government.

A revised implementation plan for the National Maternity Strategy was published in November 2021. The revised plan set out all remaining activity in relation to the implementation of the Strategy within the timeframe 2022-2026. A total of €28 million in new development funding has been invested through the Strategy from 2016-2025. This has enabled the recruitment of over 530 whole time equivalent (WTE) staff across the country.

The implementation of the strategy's Model of Care is providing more choice for women. All 19 maternity services now offer the midwife-led supported care pathway. Each maternity service now has a lactation consultant and bereavement team. Strategy funding is providing for additional home-from-home birthing suites. It is also enabling upgrades to theatres and wards. Furthermore, through Strategy funding, six maternity networks have been established to enhance service quality and safety. Training and education supports have been strengthened for maternity staff.

Full completion of the Strategy actions is expected by 2026, driven by new development funding of €2 million in Budget 2025 (with a Full Year Cost of €4 million in 2026). The priorities for this 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. Investment in 2025 will bring the national network to 13 Postnatal Hubs.

All of these developments, delivered under the Strategy, are supporting improved choice for women and driving safe, high quality, nationally consistent, woman-centered maternity care.