Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
1379. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of extending the free contraception scheme to all people regardless of age; if the scheme will be extended to those aged 26 to 30 years from 1 September 2023; the estimated cost of extending the scheme to 30 to 45-year-olds; the estimated additional cost of extending the scheme to include non-hormonal contraception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36908/23]
View answerThe free contraception scheme for women aged 17 -25 years was launched on 14 September, 2022, and expanded to include 26 year-olds on 1 January 2023. The scheme is currently open to women aged 17-26 ordinarily resident in Ireland, and will be expanded to women aged 27-30 on 1 September 2023.
The scheme covers the cost of consultations with GPs and family planning centres and prescriptions for the wide range of contraceptive options available on the HSE Re-Imbursement List, including long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs: injections, intra-uterine devices and systems (coils) and implants) and emergency contraception in addition to the contraceptive Pill, patch and ring. LARC fittings, removals, injections and check-ups are also free of charge under the scheme.
Almost 2,400 GPs and almost 1,900 pharmacies have signed up to provide services and products under the scheme to date. Approximately €32 million was allocated to support the scheme in 2023, including scheduled expansions. Expansion to girls age 16 was also allocated funding in 2023, however, this is subject to consultation, ongoing legal consideration and, should pending legal advice permit, legislative amendment.
Good financial practice recommends that demand-led schemes are introduced on a pilot basis, both to ensure that real world costs are within allocated budgets and that the new scheme works according to intended parameters – it is easier to complete the operational streamlining of new programmes when these are working with subsets of the population.
As per the recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on Access to Contraception (which is available on the Department’s website), it was decided to commence the scheme with younger age cohorts, as they are least likely to be financially independent and many are still engaged in full time education.
The Report of the Working Group on Access to Contraception also highlighted that there may have been potential issues with sufficient capacity in primary care to fit LARCs, should the scheme have been introduced to all cohorts at once. However, the ICGP are being funded since 2022 to increase the number of LARC trained GPs. This training scheme is operational and is working to increase LARC fitting capacity currently.
Costings supporting the scheme have been published and are available through the Report of the Working Group on Access to Contraception, which is available on the Department’s website. The fees reimbursable to service providers under the scheme are also listed in S.I. No.451 of 2022, which is available on www.irishstatutebook.ie . Any decision relating to further expansion of the free contraception scheme for women will be a matter for the Estimates process in advance of Budget 2024.
Condoms are not included under the scheme, which, by law, covers prescription medications and devices available through pharmacies only. However, free condoms are available through a separate programme, the National Condom Distribution Scheme (NCDS), which has been in place since 2015.
The NCDS supplies free condoms to the national network of STI clinics, to NGOs and services working with high-risk groups, and on participating 3rd level campuses. It is now also supplying free condoms with orders from Ireland’s new online STI testing scheme, which was launched in late 2022.
