Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to second Deputy Higgins to take No. 16 before No. 1.

It has been almost a year since the House passed a motion calling on the Government to roll out free access to contraception for women and girls aged between 17 and 25 years. The programme for Government also commits to providing free contraception over a phased period for women and girls aged 17 to 25 years. The Minister for Health has said universal free access to contraception is a ministerial priority for him. I raise this in advance of the budget because yesterday a report was launched on universal free access to contraception by the pharmaceutical company Bayer with the Irish Family Planning Association. I do not need to tell anyone that universal free access to contraception was a key recommendation of the report of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution in 2017. There is an onus on the Government to deliver this recommendation, even on a phased basis, now.This is a principle of human rights. People should have the full opportunity to exercise their right to have children by choice. Individuals and couples should have access to the full range of modern contraceptive measures to achieve their reproductive goals. I urge Government parties to keep the commitments they have made on this issue.

As was mentioned today, pregnant people and their loved ones are sometimes stigmatised, shamed and intimidated as they attempt to access reproductive healthcare. My colleague, Senator Gavan, has a Bill on safe access zones and is seeking cross-party signatures for it before it goes on the Order Paper.