Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

Last October, the former Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, announced that hormone replacement therapy, HRT, would be made free, which was widely welcomed. However, despite the scheme being scheduled to roll out in January, it has yet to be implemented, leaving women to continue paying for their medication. The Irish Pharmacy Union has highlighted several issues, including insufficient communication from the Department of Health, no IT system for the pharmacists' reimbursement and no fixed date for the scheme's commencement. Additionally, it looks like the scheme excludes GP consultation fees and pharmacy dispensing charges, leading to criticism that the term "free HRT" is misleading.

HRT typically costs a woman between €30 and €70 per month, amounting to as much as €840 annually. The scheme was supposed to alleviate this financial burden for women experiencing menopause. Furthermore, the cost of getting a prescription from a GP for HRT includes a GP visit fee of €50 to €70 and some pharmacies charge a dispensing of €5 to €10.

Pharmacists have contacted me and raised several concerns regarding the free HRT scheme. These concerns underscore the need for clear communication, a robust IT infrastructure and a well-defined implementation plan to ensure the scheme benefits those in need. Pharmacists flagged problems with the scheme from the time it was announced, particularly the misleading name "free HRT", which has caused confusion for patients who thought it would cover all costs, like the free contraception scheme. Patients still have to pay for GP consultations and pharmacy dispensing fees, significantly adding to their costs. Maybe, in hindsight, calling it a free scheme was a bit of a long shot.

Hormone replacement therapy has significant benefits and impacts women's lives. It can alleviate symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings, improve bone density and enhance overall quality of life. Women undergoing HRT often experience increased energy levels, better skin condition and improved emotional well-being. In Ireland, according to one report, 78% of women report that menopausal symptoms interfere with their daily activities and 31% use HRT to manage these symptoms. These benefits highlight the importance of making HRT accessible and free, as promised.

Time and again, we have heard the words "more" ,"mná" and "equality for women" in the Dáil. While I fully support women, I suggest that instead of merely talking about helping them, we should take concrete actions to support them. This scheme was supposed to make life easier for women but, as we know, it is not as straightforward as we were led to believe. For women, the choice between paying essential bills, such as the ESB bill, or covering the ever-increasing cost of food takes precedence over their own health needs. This should not be the case. Given these delays and the financial burden on women, can the Tánaiste provide a clear timeline for implementation of the HRT scheme and detail the steps being taken to resolve these issues?

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