ALCI Council Attendance at Launch of WBFTi -Ireland Report in March 2024

Event: Launch of WBFTi-Ireland report at Leinster house, Coffee dock following invitation from Senator Pauline O’Reilly, Oireachtas Committee on Breastfeeding.

Dated of Event: 20 March 2024.

ALCI Council Attendance: Nicola Clarke, IBCLC, Claire Ferris, IBCLC, and Naomi Hurley, IBCLC.

Thanks to the invite to ALCI, from TU Dublin, UNICEF Ireland, and authors of the above report, I attended the launch in Leinster House, representing ALCI. Many of the Senators, Pauline O’Reilly, Marie Sherlock, and Eileen O’Flynn were there to support the initiative.

About 25/30 advocates, supporters and nursing mothers and babies, came together to inform T.D’s about the major work this report brings to the world, relating accurate, up to - date stats on Irish breastfeeding trends bench-marked against Global standards, as part of a wider, Global initiative.  This project was supported by UNICEF, and T.U.D. amongst others, and led by the guiding hands of chairperson Dr. Liz. O’Sullivan, and ably supported by Claire Ferris, IBCLC from ALCI, and other IBCLCs such as Naomi Hurley IBCLC and Sue Jameson IBCLC (representing Cuidiu) and Claire Allcutt IBCLC retired he projects brought several bodies (representing BFLGI ) current and former members of ALCI Council.

The project work brought several bodies together with academics and medical professionals with a unified purpose to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

All three senators said a few words about the importance of using the study results in this report to affect change locally and nationally. “Looking for improvements for all breastfeeding women, especially mothers in the early days of their infant feeding journey”.

At the end of the presentations, Liz O’Sullivan, Lead author of Report, gave a brief address and left us with a strong message- “With possible elections on the way, let us all give the same message to canvassers – proper investment and support in maternity services in hospitals and the community for all breastfeeding families.”

Everyone enjoyed a delightful networking session aimed at providing national support for breastfeeding causes and offering assistance to others in need.

Thank you to ALCI for allowing me to represent them at this event.  

Complied by: Nicola Clarke, IBCLC

Dated: 10 April 2024. 

Expenses incurred by ALCI Council Members for attending this event were reimbursed.

ALCI Council would like to thank Nicola for this report.