There have been calls to put efforts in place to protect Ireland's supply of breast milk for premature babies in the midst of Brexit.
Ireland's only human milk bank, which is in Co Femanagh, provides milk to neonatal units in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has revealed that it expects to continue service across the border after Brexit.
It can do this as the facility “is not dependent on EU funding or legislation”.
“It, therefore, remains our expectation that access and co-operation should continue after EU Exit, in line with the Department of Health’s priorities in respect of maintaining cross-border healthcare services,” a spokesperson for the Western Trust said.
The Western Trust milk bank, opened almost twenty years ago, issues around 1,500 litres of milk to units around Ireland each year.
The manager of the facility has previously spoken about how the breast milk ban was one of the reasons more premature babies were surviving.
However, with the continuation of Brexit negotiations, it's uncertain what's going to happen for the Irish border.
If there’s a no-deal Brexit, it's likely to be custom checks along the border and additional tariffs.
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— Sinéad Halpin (@SiHalpin) August 2, 2018
Speaking of how important breastmilk is for premature babies, we have no milk bank in the Republic, we rely on one in NI.
Brexit may seriously impact this service. It's vital that one is developed separately to this to ensure security of supply.
Jennifer Whitmore, Social Democrats’ spokeswoman on children has called for a similar facility to be set up in the Republic.
She believes that premature babies and unwell babies and shouldn't have to depend on supplies from the single donor bank in the North of Ireland.
She said, ''this is a very important service, which in some instances can mean the difference between life and death.''
She continued, ''we can’t allow families and babies-in-need to be caught up in any potential political upheaval in the wake of Brexit.''
However, the HSE have said that they have no plans to establish and operate a human milk bank in the Republic of Ireland, although they are “committed to maintaining the necessary supply”.
“There is currently an arrangement in place to purchase donor human breast milk from a number of sites in the UK which meets the required need,” a HSE spokesperson said.
