Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy that it would have been useful to have the report published in advance of the budget. However, I remind the House that we are framing a budget in the context of a no-deal Brexit where there is a range of priority issues we needed to address, including making sure we address home care services, mental health services and a number of other issues that have been raised in this House this morning. When people see the report, I think it will become very clear to the Deputy that if we as an Oireachtas were to press "go" on this, and I hope we do, much of 2020 would be taken up with the need to legislate in this area, as well as the need to engage with the healthcare professionals involved. They may need engagement regarding fees as well. I suggest that the cost in 2020 would be minimal because, if we are being honest with each other, this will really arise as a 2021 issue, but I would like this Oireachtas and Government to set the policy direction shortly. I would like to publish the report this month.

The Deputy referred to our county lagging behind in this area. The European contraception atlas for this year ranked Ireland 12 of 46 countries and gave the Government a rating of 65% for our policies and access to contraceptive supplies, family planning counselling and the provision of online information on contraception, so we are making progress in this regard. A third of our population hold a medical card. That means 124,379 clients availed of contraceptive drugs and special services through the General Medical Services, GMS, scheme last year.

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