CONTRACEPTION SHOULD BE free for all women and girls from 16 upwards, according to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, who indicated he’d like to see further movement in this year’s budget.
The free contraception scheme was expanded in July to include women aged 32-35, having already applied for women aged 17-31.
Speaking to The Journal this week, the minister said: “For me, contraception should be for all women from 16 up, that should be it. We’re certainly getting there. We’re now 17 to 35. I want to go 16 to any age.”
When asked if such an announcement will be made on budget day, he said: “That’s a matter for budgetary discussions.”
However, it is understood there is a push to get free contraception expanded to older women over this year and next, if the minister’s party is restored to power after an election.
In Budget 2023, the government also committed to expanding free contraception to those aged 16 years of age.
There is no set minimum age in Ireland at which contraceptive advice and prescriptions may be provided. The age of consent to sexual activity is 17 in Ireland.
Last year, the Irish Family Planning Association, while welcoming the expansion of the free contraception programme, said it was concerned that the extension does not include 16-year-olds.
It said a clear commitment was given by government and funding was allocated to cover this age group within the scheme.
It has urged the government to expand the scheme to 16 year olds “as a matter of priority” and called on the government to resolve the potential legal barriers to their access to free contraception.
In addition to expanding access to free contraception, Donnelly said he also wants to expand the eligibility criteria for those in need of fertility treatments, such as IVF, as well as rolling out free hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for all women.
HRT is a treatment used to relieve the symptoms of menopause. A survey in 2023 showed that more than half of women fear their long-term relationships are suffering due to their symptoms, while almost two-thirds said their sex lives have been damaged.
He said he has initial estimates on how much free HRT will cost, adding that the department has come back and said their revised estimate is significantly in excess of their original estimates.
“These things aren’t cheap,” he said, stating that phase one of the free IVF scheme costs €30 million.
“Free contraception is really expensive. It’s really successful, but the only reason we brought it in on a phased basis was for the money,” he said.
“I remember when we when we rolled it out, I was seeing these comments online, saying ‘people over the age of 25 or 30 or 35 have sex too’. Like, yeah, I know, we get that, but we have to be able to afford it,” said the minister.
Since it was reported by The Irish Times last week that hundreds of thousands of women will potentially be able to access free hormone replacement therapy (HRT) under new plans being advanced by the minister, the reaction has been very positive, according to Donnelly.
“I would very much like to see it rolled out for everybody at once. And that’s what we’re working through at the moment,” he said.
“I want it to be universal. I wanted to be free for the user… that’s what we want to achieve… I’ve seen a lot of good reaction from pharmacists and GPs, it’s gone down very well.
“I’ve been out knocking on doors in Wicklow and it’s coming up on the doors quite a lot, which is great. It’s kind of cut through. I hope it’s something of a tipping point. I’m having conversations with women who have seen the HRT proposal, are really encouraged by it, and now are looking at all of the other women’s health measures available to them,” he said.
However, the minister acknowledged that he expects there to be supply issues when free HRT is available.
Last year, a shortage in HRT patches caused significant issues for doctors, patients and pharmacists around the country.
In some cases pharmacists have had to manipulate patient doses, as certain strengths have become particularly scarce.
The minister said he’s been told by officials that there could be a significant constraint on supply that that will have to be managed.
“There’s a worldwide shortage. There was a big uptake in patches rather than other approaches. So I have no doubt that when we do this, supply is going to be something that we’ll have to work on,” he added.
He acknowledged that expanding the free IVF scheme, rolling out free HRT as well as further expanding free contraception are “very expensive measures”.
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