Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
782. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Health if consideration will be given for the development of a structured care programme in the area of women’s health within general practice which would deal exclusively with reproductive health, including contraception, maternity care and menopause; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5011/22]
View answerImproving women’s health outcomes is a key priority for me and this Government. We made a strong commitment to Promoting Women’s Health in the Programme for Government and are fully committed to the development and improvement of Women’s Health services and to working with women and girls to improve their health across the whole life cycle.
This commitment has been reflected within Budget 2022, in the allocation of €31 million for new development funding to specifically support women’s health.
Underscoring the government’s commitment to Women’s Health has been the establishment of a Women’s Health Taskforce in September 2019 to improve both health outcomes and experiences of healthcare for women and girls. The Irish College of GPs (ICGP) are active members of the Women's Health Taskforce and continue to be engaged on how women's health can be better considered within the primary care setting.
Related activity includes a number of education and training courses run throughout the year, including the establishment in September 2021 of a GP Education Course in the area of Community Gynaecology which includes topics such as contraception, sexual health and fertility. In addition, funding has been provided through the Women's Health Fund to develop a 'quick reference guide' for GPs on the menopause, to support primary care provision in this area.
An ICGP post of Clinical Lead for Women’s Health in General Practice, the first such post in Ireland, is currently being progressed. Once in place, the Clinical Lead will provide the essential leadership to drive forward an ambitious agenda to enable a comprehensive life-course approach to women’s health in general practice.
