The HSE’s National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) operated with a large budget deficit of more than €12 million last year, the Medical Independent (MI) has learned.
Documents released to MI show that the Programme had a €12.8 million deficit in 2025, which posed a risk to the delivery of its objectives. The documents were obtained through Freedom of Information law.
A 2025 quarter two programme report outlined that, as part of the HSE Pay and Numbers Strategy in 2023, around 40 whole-time equivalent (WTE) posts previously funded and vacant were essentially “decommissioned” or erased. These posts had been supported by €4 million in funding.
“NWIHP is working with HSE colleagues to highlight the areas impacted and the WTEs associated with the funding anomalies and to establish whether the shortfall can be addressed,” the report stated.
The Programme received €12 million in development funding in 2021 and a further €18.5 million in 2022, according to the report, which provided a detailed update of its many work areas.
A spokesperson for the HSE told MI that some of the 40 decommissioned posts were subsequently resubmitted and funded through the 2024 estimates process, while others were reprioritised.
“The reported budget deficit largely reflects the loss of these posts across 2023 and 2024, together with the impact of revised budgetary rules,” the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson also explained how the changes in HSE structures would impact how budgets are allocated and operate this year.
“From January 2026, all development funding has been provided directly to the health regions and therefore no longer sits
with central clinical programmes like NWIHP. NWIHP continues to hold the budget for assisted human reproduction and a small number of other initiatives that will be funded centrally.”
“Each of the six HSE health regions and each national service has been provided with its own specified number of whole-time equivalent staff and budget, and can, within that approved number, replace and recruit staff according to the priorities in
their regions.”
The NWIHP was established in January 2017 to lead the management, organisation and delivery of maternity, gynaecology, and neonatal services.
According to the HSE National Service Plan 2026, this year the health service “will deliver more timely, local, and specialised care for women at all life stages, reducing delays and improving population health outcomes by ensuring services are designed around women’s needs, preferences, and experiences”.
Meanwhile, the HSE spokesperson said that two consultant perinatal geneticist posts will “proceed in 2026” to help develop perinatal genetics services nationally.
“Job specifications will be reviewed and revised following feedback from the consultant applications advisory committee and in collaboration with the National Genetics and Genomics Office,” the spokesperson stated.
Perinatal genetics aids in the diagnosis and management of rare genetic conditions during pregnancy. Currently, it is understood a temporary consultant geneticist is providing a perinatal genetics service at the National Maternity Hospital, Dublin, and is offering support to other hospital
groups nationally.
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