Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, a Chathaoirligh. I agree with the Order of Business, as outlined by the Leader of the House. There are a number of issues to raise. I express my concern at the apparent disappearance of Elnaz Rekabi, who then re-appeared on Instagram a number of days later. She is the Iranian rock climber who was pictured competing in one of the rock climbing events without her hijab or headscarf and later could not be found. Her passport had apparently been confiscated. A number of days later, she appeared on Instagram apologising for the unintentional non-wearing of the headscarf. It is deeply concerning, along with other young women continuing to lose their lives in the Iranian protests. This happened to a young 33-year-old woman competing for and representing her country at an international competition. After public outcry, thankfully, she appears to be alive and appears to be well.We do not really know what happened in the intervening period, which is deeply concerning.

I reiterate my call that Ireland, as a member of the UN Security Council, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, who has direct contact with the Iranian ambassador to Ireland and the Iranian foreign minister, continue to call for full and transparent disclosure of all those who have lost their lives, for the Iranian authorities to desist in the use of force against peaceful protestors and, of course, for the full human rights of women in Iran to be enforced and protected as a given and that they not have to dress as per the demands of the dictatorship that is enforcing those rules.

On a more positive topic, I attended the opening of the specialist menopause clinic at the Rotunda Hospital this morning. It is the fourth such clinic to open in the country in the past year. By the end of this year, we will have gone from zero menopause clinics to six fully operational specialist clinics. The country is unrecognisable today in how it treats women's healthcare compared even with five years ago. We have made huge progress on this. I commend the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, the health service, the Rotunda Hospital and the healthcare professionals who are providing this much needed service. It is long overdue and it is fantastic to see it in operation. Women of my generation have access now to much more information than was the case in the past.

I acknowledge that Ireland launched the first ever national menopause awareness campaign on Friday last. There is a brand-new Government website, gov.ie/en/campaigns/menopause, on which women can find all the information they need about symptoms and where they can get help and treatment. That was not there for my mother's generation or the generations who went before. I understand from speaking to menopause campaigners that we are the first country in the world to have a national menopause awareness campaign. I have spoken to campaigners in the UK, US, New Zealand and Australia and they are asking how we did this because they want to replicate it. It is great to see Ireland leading the way on this.