Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That will be a barrier for some women because it can sometimes cost €50 or €60 to visit a GP in order to get a prescription. That is unfortunate. Can it be looked at again?

The contraception scheme is currently for those aged between 17 and 35. Are there plans to extend the scheme? Many women who get pregnant are over 35. I know one woman who was 49 when she found out, much to her surprise - let me put it that way - she was pregnant. She blamed a certain victory that the Cavan team had and the celebrations afterwards for this happening. Can the scheme be extended and can we look at younger girls who under their GP's care having access to contraception?

Does the Minister have plans to update and review the maternity strategy? I would love to see improvements in maternity care. There have been many such improvements, from fertility treatment right through to breast screening. There is an idea of Ireland being the safest country in which to have a baby. Unfortunately, that is not yet the case. There are a number of investigations going on, which I will not reference, about the loss of children at birth. The latter should not be happening in this day and age. The assisted human reproduction Act was passed last year, so the legislative framework is in place to develop publicly funded access to assisted reproductive services such as IVF. Are there plans to roll out access to IVF?

I would also love to see more investment in community midwifery services. Some women would love a home birth. There should be more support for home-based care for women who choose to have their babies at home. There also be more support for midwifery-led units. There is an excellent unit in Cavan General Hospital and another in Drogheda. They are only two such units in the State. I would love to see that type of care invested in and rolled out to more women across the State. There was a scare approximately five years ago that the midwifery-led unit in Cavan was going to be downgraded or closed. Thankfully, that did not happen. I want to make sure that cannot happen going forward because it is a service that many women value and choose to use over a consultant-led service.

I also want to see more investment in health and social care supports for survivors of abuse and domestic violence.