My Department is examining the ancillary recommendations in the Joint Committee's report. This includes consideration of the nature and scope of a free contraception service and of what the introduction of such a service would involve.
Officials in my Department, under the chairmanship of the Chief Medical Officer, have established a group to address the recommendations and formulate an effective and comprehensive response to the issues raised by the Committee in its ancillary recommendations. The Group will cover the following areas, both within the Department itself and the HSE: sexual health, primary care, acute hospitals, disability services, and mental health, as well as any other areas subsequently deemed relevant.