The South Belfast MLA has said: "It is naturally very welcome that perinatal mental health services are now available right across Northern Ireland. These will offer a significant enhancement to maternity services across all Trust areas, offering support through birth and up to one year afterwards.
"While it is also welcome that the City Hospital has been identified as the location for a proposed regional mother and baby unit, here yet again we face uncertainty around implementation because of the lack of clarity around budgets.
"So although there is welcome news announced today applying to the whole of Northern Ireland, it remains unfortunately the case that we are proceeding too slowly to reform services because the budget is inadequate and we cannot properly scrutinise how what money we do have is being allocated, due to continued political impasse at Stormont."