Holly Cairns
Ceist:381. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the research by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41059/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 3 December 2020
Ceisteanna (381)
Freagraí scríofa
The Minister is aware of and welcomes the recent research undertaken by the Dublin Well Women Centre on contraception.
Among other things, the report points to barriers facing women trying to access their preferred forms of contraception and identifies cost, location and misinformation as particularly important.
This broadly reflects the findings of the Working Group report on Access to Contraception, published in October 2019, which highlighted the need for policy development around contraception to focus on accessibility, education and workforce capacity, as well as cost.
The Minister is committed to the aim of expanding access to free contraception for women aged 17-25 as set out in the Programme for Government. However, a number of regulatory, legal and policy issues need to be addressed before such a scheme can be implemented. The need to focus on and prioritise the response to the current pandemic has, unfortunately, delayed and disrupted progress on this issue during 2020.