Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2022
1486. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that persons who are without personal public service numbers will be able to access care under the free contraception scheme which is scheduled for launch and roll-out in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29408/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1487. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Health the mechanism through which healthcare providers will be reimbursed for the provision of contraceptive services under the free contraception scheme for persons who are without personal public service numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29409/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1486 and 1487 together.
The Report of the Working Group on Access to Contraception, published in October 2019, identified the barriers that exist to accessing contraception, which include accessibility, information, workforce capacity and, for a significant number of women who may be just above the eligibility threshold for a full GMS (medical) card, cost.
In consideration of the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the 8th Amendment to the Constitution (JOC8) and the findings of the Working Group on Contraception, the Programme for Government, 2020 commits to providing free contraception for women, starting with the 17-25 age cohort.
The Department of Health Contraception Implementation Group was convened in July, 2021 and has been working with partners, including the HSE, towards ensuring that the scheme will commence in August 2022. Funding of approximately €9m has been allocated for this in Budget 2022.
The scheme will provide for:
1. The cost of prescription contraception;
2. The cost of necessary consultations with GPs and other doctors to discuss suitable contraception for individual patients and to enable prescription of same;
3. The cost of fitting and/or removal of various types of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) plus any necessary checks, by medical professionals certified to fit/remove same;
4. The cost of training and certifying additional medical professionals to fit and remove LARCs;
5. The cost of providing the wide range of contraceptive options currently available to GMS (medical) card holders, which will also be available through this scheme, including contraceptive injections, implants, IUS and IUDs (coils), the contraceptive patch and ring, and various forms of oral contraceptive pill, including emergency contraception.
The scheme will be open to all 17-25 year-olds ordinarily resident in Ireland.
Formal negotiations with medical representative bodies with regard to service provision under the scheme have commenced and are ongoing. The details of service provision regarding re-imbursement of service providers under the scheme have therefore yet to be finalised.
With respect to existing services, my Department and the HSE are aware that issues have arisen with reimbursement of service providers in respect of persons without PPSNs. The matter will be given due consideration as the details of the free contraception scheme are further developed and finalised.
