3279. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Health the preparations that are being made to develop an updated national maternity strategy; when this will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55519/26]

Since the launch of the National Maternity Strategy in 2016, significant progress has been made in transforming maternity services through the implementation of the Strategy's recommendations and actions. More than 98% of actions are now complete or underway, with work continuing towards full implementation in 2026.

Since 2016, €28 million in development funding has been invested through the Strategy, supporting the recruitment of more than 567 additional whole-time equivalent staff, including 44 consultants and over 390 nurses and midwives. The Government remains committed to the continued improvement of maternity services, including the development of a successor National Maternity Strategy, as set out in the Programme for Government.

To inform this work, the Health Service Executive's (HSE) National Women and Infants Health Programme is currently completing a review of the implementation of the existing Strategy, including engagement with staff across maternity services. This review, together with findings from the 2025 National Maternity Experience Survey, will inform an independent external evaluation of the Strategy.

The independent evaluation will provide evidence-based recommendations to support the future development of maternity services and the next National Maternity Strategy. A tender for this review was published on 13 July 2026, and the evaluation is expected to conclude before year-end.

The Department will continue to work closely with the HSE and other stakeholders to ensure that the planned successor strategy builds on the substantial progress achieved to date and provides a clear roadmap for the ongoing enhancement of maternity and neonatal services.