Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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77. To ask the Minister for Health her plans to advance the women's health action plan, specifically in respect of County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9741/25]

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I wish to return to the women's health action plan, in particular when it comes to young women, specifically young women in County Louth. For far too long in decades gone by, women's health in this country was neglected and ignored, partly because women tend to take care of others ahead of themselves and also because men in general and the State in decades gone by have simply ignored women's issues and women's health and have tended not to ask us how we are.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Not only that, but when women do express symptoms, they have often not been listened to. That was particularly evident to me in the new funding we have given from the women's health fund to cardiovascular care in particular yesterday, where there was an acknowledgment of bias in understanding symptoms and the way in which women describe them. The implementation is ongoing for the second women's health action plan for 2024-25. Our goal is to improve health outcomes and experiences for women and girls nationwide, and that has been supported by additional investment of over €180 million.

Specifically, as regards County Louth, significant investment has been provided to Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda, for its maternity and gynaecology services, including the midwifery-led unit operational, with services extending to the community. Water birth services commenced in late 2023. Postnatal services are to be further developed in 2025.

Of course, it was one of the first hospitals to implement termination of pregnancy services. It has also had an ambulatory gynaecology clinic operational since late 2022. Within the Louth-Meath CAMHS service, two new advanced nurse practitioner posts have been approved specifically for eating disorders. This is a particular problem for young girls especially, as the Deputy has identified. Funding has supported the provision of free period products in buildings and facilities managed by Louth County Council. BreastCheck is also currently operating a mobile breast screening unit in Drogheda. There are 56 cervical screening contract holders in primary care in County Louth. I am committed to women's health action right across the country, but these are some specific examples. This is additional to women and girls in County Louth being the beneficiaries of the broader supports in relation to HRT yet to come and the cost of contraception supports.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister and welcome those updates. I turn my attention now to women in mid-life and older women in general. I have realised myself since I entered this Chamber and come down those very steep steps that my bones are tending to creak a little bit more than they were two months ago. There are programmes in the plan for bone health. This is a vital issue, especially for women in mid-life and older age. The term "older age" does not sit right with me as I advance towards it perhaps, but I would like to hear a little more about those plans, particularly for the women of County Louth.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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In terms of my role as the Minister of State with special responsibility for older people, and the specific aspect in terms of women in the context of the issue raised by the Deputy, I am going to work with the Minister on the matter. More specifically, I am going to work on the issue raised by the Deputy regarding women moving into their older years. It is something I am very strong on and I will work with the Minister on the specific matter raised by the Deputy.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I also acknowledge the work being done on the cardiovascular health of women. As the Minister pointed out, the symptoms for women are not the same as those that present in men. Very often, we tend to ignore it. Through marketing, communication and just general acknowledgement these symptoms are different, we can definitely change the lives of many women across the country.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I launched three such research programmes identifying exactly that aspect, as well as identifying women who may experience particular risk factors through gestational diabetes or experiences during pregnancy or maternity generally that may be markers for cardiovascular difficulty in future. I also wish to highlight to everybody quite how easy it is to have an early marker check. Yesterday, I went through the horrid situation of having my blood taken and checked, which I despise. Nevertheless, it is a very useful process. I got the results 20 minutes later, which, notwithstanding some stress, were absolutely fine. The point is that they could just as easily have shown an early marker. Would we not much rather find out about an early marker for risk for the future? These are readily available to be done and I encourage everybody to try to spread this word, especially when it is women's health week. I thank the Deputy for her focus on women's health during this week.