Vol. 439 No. 4
5 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health, in respect of each of the past five years, the number of births, to teenagers as a proportion of the overall number of births; in view of the high level of such births the plans, if any, he has to ensure that family planning advice and contraceptives are available on a national basis through family doctors, health boards and specialist agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
15 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Health the action, if any, he proposes to take to oblige health boards to provide a comprehensive family planning service.
64 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health the action, if any, he proposes to take to oblige health boards to provide a comprehensive family planning service.
97 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the action, if any, he proposes to take to oblige health boards to provide a comprehensive family planning service.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 5, 15, 64 and 97 together.
The number and percentage of births to teenagers, i.e. mothers aged less than 20 years of age, in respect of each of the last five years is as follows:
|
Year |
Total Births |
Births to teenagers |
|
|
Number |
Number |
% |
|
|
1988 |
54,600 |
2,456 |
4.50 |
|
1989 |
52,018 |
2,379 |
4.57 |
|
1990 |
53,044 |
2,668 |
5.03 |
|
1991* |
52,690 |
2,794 |
5.30 |
|
1992* |
51,584 |
2,721 |
5.27 |
*Provisional figures.
The Health Promotion Unit, in my Department recently produced a leaflet entitled, Family Planning and Contraception. This leaflet contains information on a range of contraception options, how they work and important points to consider in their use. These leaflets will be available through health centres, pharmacists, general practitioners and family planning clinics. They can be used also as a resource in educational contexts where people are learning about family planning and contraception.
The Department of Education has produced a set of guidelines for post-primary schools on the development of sex/relationships education and I understand that my colleague, the Minister for Education, Deputy Bhreathnach, is reviewing further the position in this area.
I am satisfied that family planning advice and contraceptives are available throughout the country. The challenge which we face is to ensure that those young people who are sexually active are aware where advice can be obtained and use these services. It is also vitally important that they are aware of and have access to all of the services available at an early stage during and after pregnancy.
In relation to the questions tabled by Deputies Flaherty, Hogan and Mitchell, the position is that under section 8 of the Health (Family Planning) (Amendment) Act, 1992 and article 2 of the Health (Family Planning) Regulations, 1992 health boards are responsible for providing and/or making available a family planning service. Future policy in relation to the provision of a comprehensive family planning service will be addressed also in the health strategy document, which will be published shortly.
Does the Minister share my concern about the increasing level of teenage pregnancies? The figures to which he has referred indicate a steady increase over the years and EUROSTAT data shows that we have a higher rate of teenage pregnancies than either the UK or Denmark. Does the Minister consider this to be a serious matter, in particular the health risks involved for young mothers and the undesirability generally to have children at a young age? Is the Minister satisfied that health centres throughout the country provide a full family planning service? Can he give that undertaking? Does he have information as to how young people are acquiring family planning information? The Coombe study indicates that young people are not getting the information they need; while they are availing of condoms there seems to be a distinct lack of understanding or awareness of their own bodily functions and how they can prevent pregnancy. Does the Minister agree that the distribution of a leaflet — desirable as that may be — is not the answer to this phenomenon that is growing in Ireland? Will he specify in the national health strategy the objectives he intends to reach in relation to the levels of teenage pregnancy, which are extraordinary here?
The question is overlong. The Deputy has made quite a speech.
The UK national health strategy has a specific goal in relation to teenage pregnancy.
The increase in the number of teenage pregnancies is cause for concern for society in general. That is why we have embarked on an education process in the first instance which is primarily the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Education. On the provision of family planning services, the health boards are responsible for this. The policy is implemented through the health boards; information and advice is widely available and the health centres, general practitioners and voluntary bodies, for example, the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council, the National Association for Ovulation, the Irish Family Planning Association, Dublin Well Woman Centre and others, provide a service to some degree also. In addition, approximately 700 GPs have completed the Irish Family Planning Association ICGP joint training certificate and a further 800 nurses have been trained and received certificates in family planning. The expansion of the family planning process and the evaluation of the service to date will be addressed in the national health strategy and the Deputy will forgive me if I do not pre-empt that strategy by disclosing its contents until it is published.
I accept the Minister cannot divulge the contents of the national strategy but does he intend to allocate funding to this area? If I walk into any health centre in rural Ireland today, can I obtain a comprehensive family planning service? Is that what the Minister is saying?
It is not what I said. I said the health boards are responsible under the law for the provision of family planning services throughout the country. There are gaps in the service, there is no doubt about that; I would not be addressing the matter otherwise. In relation to the approach I intend to take and the various costings involved, I would prefer to leave those matters until the national health strategy is published.
