Young women may f inally be able to get free contraception by late August
THE Government’s free contraception scheme for young women may come into effect before the end of this month amid growing Coalition tensions over delays to the programme, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly wants to fast-track the €26m scheme following criticisms from Fine Gael about its rollout.
Sources in the Department of Health this weekend said ‘the end of August is a real possibility’ when asked about the timeframe.
Mr Donnelly said this weekend the scheme is a cornerstone of his policies to improve women’s health services.
He told the MoS: ‘Our free contraception scheme will remove cost barriers to prescription contraception and is an important landmark.
‘The scheme will include the cost of prescription contraception, the cost of consultations with medical professionals and the cost of fitting and removing various types of long-acting reversible contraception.’
The Coalition has committed to providing free contraception over a phased period, starting with women aged 17 to 25, in the Programme for Government.
But the minister said ultimately he wants the scheme to be universal, adding: ‘I would like to extend free access to contraception to other age groups over time.’
The free contraception scheme was a key feature of the Repeal the Eighth campaign in 2018 when the country voted to overturn the Constitutional ban on abortion.
But four years after the referendum and two years after it was included in the Programme for Government, the final details of the scheme have yet to emerge.
In an indication of growing backbench unease, Fine Gael TD Colm Burke recently called for a clear starting date to be announced.
Mr Burke also called for a national campaign so that women who are eligible for the scheme know how and where they can access it.
He said: ‘These young women need clarity as to when exactly they can avail of free contraception and which medical practitioner in their community will provide it.’
The Cork North Central TD also noted the cost of contraception for women underlined the need for the Government to ‘first help younger women who have greater difficulty in accessing contraception where cost is a barrier’.
He added: ‘There is a significant cost involved for GP visits, repeat prescriptions and the type of contraceptive a patient may opt for. The contraceptive pill and similar repeat prescription contraceptives have been estimated to cost €65 to €100 every six months and are higher for long-acting contraceptive devices.
‘Some women included in the scheme will be using contraception for the first time, so it is vital that we have a national information campaign aimed at those eligible, which should include broadcasting and social media.’
In response to queries from the MoS, a spokesman for the Department of Health said: ‘The Programme for Government commits to providing free contraception for women, starting with the 17 to 25 age cohort.
‘The Department of Health has been working with partners, including the HSE, towards ensuring that the scheme will commence in late August or early September 2022.’
The spokesman said the scheme will initially be open ‘to all 17 to 25-year-old women ordinarily resident in Ireland’ and will provide for the cost of prescription contraception, medical consultations, and the fitting and removal of longacting reversible contraception (LARC).
It will also cover the cost of training and certifying ‘additional medical professionals to fit and remove LARC’.
The spokesman said it will also provide for ‘the wide range of contraceptive options currently available to 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 spokesman added: ‘It is envisaged that the Act will be commenced, and the scheme launched, in late August or early September 2022’.
‘These young women need clarity’