Pauline O'Reilly (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I move:

“That Seanad Éireann:

recognises that: - menopause is known to be a challenging period in the lifetime of every woman, no matter when, during that lifetime, it occurs;

- it is a turning point for women, not just reproductively, but also can come with a range of biological and psychological symptoms that can lead to vasomotor conditions, cardiometabolic disease, neurological disorders and mental health problems; further recognises that: - hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a recognised treatment for many of the associated symptoms of menopause, notably for vasomotor (hot flushes, night sweats), cardiometabolic (insulin resistance, hypertension, diabetes) issues, osteological disease (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis) and mood changes or indicators of depression and anxiety; notes with concern that: - inflation and the cost-of-living crisis affects women and girls disproportionately, according to the World Economic Forum;

- a support group for women, The Irish Menopause, say that the cost of HRT is a major barrier to women taking up the treatment; standard prescriptions can cost between €30 and €70 a month; according to this group, women have halted treatment because they cannot afford the cost; acknowledges that: - the Government in Budget 2023 reduced the VAT on non-oral HRT medicines to 0%;

- the Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-2023 promises to ‘grow the available women’s health supports, services, and expertise in contraception; menopause; and gynaecology’ and to ‘changing the approach to menopause care to increase the public supports available to women before, during and after menopause’;

- Budget 2024 prioritised women’s health in the area of contraception by expanding the funding for free contraception for women from 17 to 31;

calls on the Government to:

- provide HRT free of charge to all women who need it.”