Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is the first time I have heard the expression "prescription rights". We have heard of other rights but it makes sense that people would have access. That was one of the points made. As part of the meeting this morning, there was a proposal that today, International Women's Day, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health would call on the Minister for Health to take immediate steps to make oral contraceptives available without prescription from community pharmacies, as is the case in many other countries. The committee makes this call to bring Ireland into line with WHO policy to reduce costs and increase access, especially for new communities, younger cohorts, and ethnic minorities. The proposers were Deputies Róisín Shortall and Neasa Hourigan.