Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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549. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for information regarding the little baby bundle pilot scheme, as it has evolved since 2023, both in terms of feedback from the 2023 initiative and in terms of whether iterations of the scheme have been carried out since 2023 or will be carried out in a planned year again, e.g., in 2025 or 2026; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27223/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Little Baby Bundle is designed to be a gift from the State for new parents, welcoming a new arrival to their family. The gift is an acknowledgement by the State of this significant and special moment for parents. It includes key essential items to support parents after the birth of their baby, to support parent-infant bonding, and to promote parent and infant health and wellbeing.

My Department launched the Little Baby Bundle pilot scheme in February 2023. Through that pilot 500 bundles were offered to participating parents, with 350 bundles made available for women receiving prenatal care at the Rotunda Hospital Dublin, and 150 for women at University Hospital Waterford. The take-up rate for the pilot scheme was 96%, with 480 women availing of the pilot. As 8 of these women had twins, a total of 488 babies were provided with a baby bundle.

The cost of delivering the pilot scheme was €200,000, with an independent evaluation of the pilot costing €87,000, which helps to ensure that any future rollout of the scheme will be evidence-informed. The last bundle was delivered in September 2023, with leftover bundles from the pilot scheme donated to domestic violence services.

The matter will be looked at over the lifetime of this government, as part of ongoing budgetary considerations.