Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, has praised the significant uptake of Ireland’s free contraception scheme, which is projected to benefit 320,000 women by the end of 2024.
According to data from January to September this year, approximately 245,000 people accessed the scheme at least once, reflecting a notable increase in participation compared to previous years. This figure represents a substantial rise from the nearly 189,000 women who accessed the scheme in 2023, when the program was initially available to women aged 17 to 30.
The scheme’s eligibility was expanded in January 2024 to include women aged 31, with further extensions in July to cover women aged 32 to 35.
Minister Donnelly commented on the success of the initiative, stating, “We introduced the free contraception scheme to address the financial barriers many women face when accessing contraception. No one should bear disproportionate costs because of their gender. I am very pleased to see the strong uptake, which is giving women the financial freedom to make choices about their reproductive health.”
He continued, “Since its launch in September 2022, we have rapidly expanded the scheme in response to clear demand. This is just one of many recent developments in women’s health that reflect our ongoing efforts to provide a quality, accessible, and equitable health service for all, regardless of financial means.”
The scheme is available to women, girls, and individuals who identify as transgender or non-binary, provided they are ordinarily resident in Ireland and their healthcare provider deems prescription contraception suitable.
Currently, almost 2,400 GPs and 2,050 pharmacies across the country are involved in providing the services under the scheme.
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