Dr. Caitriona Henchion:

One of the biggest issues on tubal ligation is the gynaecology waiting list. There is such a long wait to see a gynaecologist and this is not an issue where it is possibly cancer, it is an elective procedure, therefore these people will never be high priority in a gynaecology waiting list. One might face a wait of over a year to see a gynaecologist to discuss having a tubal ligation and another year waiting for the procedure. When someone asks about it we would go through what is involved and if they are in the public system, how long they are likely to have to wait, that they will need some other contraception in the meantime. A Merina coil or Implanon is at least as effective, if not more so, than tubal ligation. Tubal ligation numbers have dropped since the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives. If a woman is paying for it, she will probably find a gynaecologist and have it done but on a public list, they will need to use a different method for quite a long time.