Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 July 2026
161. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Health to confirm when the report into midwifery and nursing numbers, commissioned by the National Women and Infants Health Programme will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52271/26]
View answerA key pillar of the National Maternity Strategy was that maternity services should be appropriately resourced, underpinned by strong and effective leadership, management and governance arrangements, and delivered by a skilled and competent workforce, in partnership with women. The National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) was established to facilitate greater oversight and support for service providers.
As part of their oversight role, NWIHP has been carrying out an annual baseline assessment of midwifery and nursing staffing since 2023. This analysis uses the employment data supplied by each of the 19 maternity services across the maternity networks and compares against the staffing levels determined by the Birth Rate + work force tool in 2016.
The purpose of this review is to give a comprehensive picture of the number of midwives and nurses in frontline services. The analysis looks not only at funded posts, but also considers a wider assessment of funded posts that may be vacant due to leave.
NWIHP's most recent staffing review is nearing completion. This review was not intended for external publication, but once all the data is compiled, it will be shared with all 19 maternity services to assist with service planning.
