Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is draft legislation to deliver what we all want to see happen. I want to acknowledge the very constructive debates we have had in the Seanad on the issue. A Private Members' Bill on safe access to termination of pregnancy services was brought forward previously. I acknowledge the significant work put into that Bill by the Members concerned. At the time, I committed to bringing forward and prioritising legislation in the area. We have done that.

On the timeframe for delivery, the legislation will be considered by Cabinet shortly. If Cabinet agrees, which I hope it will, I will then immediately refer it to the Joint Committee on Health for pre-legislative scrutiny. My hope is that the committee will be able to prioritise time for that scrutiny and will be able to move through the process quickly. Once we receive the report from the committee, we will move to finalise the Bill. I would like to bring it to the House as quickly as possible. I would love to get through all of that this calendar year. It is a priority and has support on all sides of the House. It is something that I would like to see happen.

In terms of funding for next year, €9 million in funding is being allocated this year for the provision of free contraception for 17- to 25-year-olds. That is the cost estimate. The full-year cost, which is provided for, is €26 million. It is a really important measure, but the figures I provided underscore just how expensive it is. To put it in context, we estimate that the full year cost of providing free contraception just for 17- to 25-year-olds is around €26 million. The additional funding for the national maternity strategy is just €9 million. The total funding for new developments for the entire national cancer strategy is €20 million. The full cost of this measure is €26 million. It is a most important and expensive measure. It is a mark of how seriously we are taking the issue, that we are allocating such significant funds to it.

Senator Buttimer raised the issue of other costs, such as car parking charges at hospitals, for example. I am aware that some hospitals have agreements in place whereby there is a mechanism for waiving the charges for patients who are in regularly or for family members who might be visiting someone who is in regularly. However, charges are managed on a hospital-by-hospital basis. I am very aware that there is a wide range of costs right across the board. These include the costs relating to accessing hospitals, GPs and other community care, such as physiotherapy and speech and language therapy and all of those services, and medicines. The goal is the provision of universal healthcare. We are absolutely committed to achieving that.

Universal healthcare is profoundly important and has three very simple criteria. When people need care, they can get it quickly, it is high-quality and affordable. Today is about the third criterion. We are removing inpatient charges for children and the cost of contraception, starting with the 17- to 25-year-olds. We are also looking at other costs. Last year we secured the extension of the provision of medical cards to those with a terminal diagnosis from 12 months to 24 months. We have reduced the drug payment scheme substantially this year. At the start of the year, we reduced it from €114 to €100 a month. It has since been reduced to €80 a month. We also plan to bring in free GP care for six- and seven-year-olds. Across the board, we are targeting the areas of healthcare that are causing financial distress for people. We have not got them all yet. Obviously, it takes time. However, I hope that my colleagues agree that this year, we are making really important progress. We will also be looking to the budget to see what more can be done. I think we have covered the various issues that were raised.