Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, for coming to the House to take this all-important matter. My question is whether there is an update from the Department of Health on the provision of HRT for women. Menopause is something that affects many women in different ways. It can be very debilitating at times. I am aware the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and the Department were looking at whether the provision of HRT is feasible. People on the medical card receive it for free but women who do not have a medical card can pay anything from €30 to €70. I thank young Councillor Ben Ward in Carlow who raised this with me. It is an issue that came up on the doorsteps. It is good to see a young male councillor not shying away from something to do with women's health. The Minister and the Department have gone a long way towards addressing issues but this issue is very important and I wonder whether there is any update on it. Women should not be penalised for health issues that are out of their control.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless. I thank him for the great start he has made in his new brief at the Department of Transport. He has been at Cork Airport and has been a very good supporter. I thank him for being here.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach and Members. I thank Senator Byrne for her question. It is a privilege to be here in the Seanad addressing colleagues. It is my first time to do so as a Minister of State but I have been here as Cathaoirleach of the justice committee. I know the great form the Seanad has and it is a privilege to address it today.

Senator Byrne's question is extremely important and I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. I thank her for raising the issue of State-funded HRT provision for menopause treatment. The Government and the Minister are firmly committed to improving women's health throughout the course of life. Having listened to the Minister at my party's recent think-in event, I witnessed at first-hand how committed he is to women's health. To be fair to him, he has introduced a number of initiatives in this area and he is to be commended on doing so.

Since the establishment of the women's health task force in 2019, it has engaged with women throughout Ireland. It has listened to what women want from the health service and the Government has taken a number of positive steps to improve women's experience of healthcare and health outcomes. The second women's health action plan for 2024 to 2025 was published on 18 April. This plan represents the next phase in women's health. It focuses on improving health outcomes for women and girls in Ireland by introducing new developments and embedding initiatives introduced in the previous women's health action plan.

Most recently the Minister stated his intention to provide State-funded hormone replacement therapy to all women who require it in treating their menopause symptoms. Officials at the Department of Health are engaging with key stakeholders and exploring the options available with regard to implementing this ministerial priority. Improving menopause care has been a priority since the publication of the first women's health action plan and significant progress has been made to improve supports for women experiencing menopause symptoms at primary and specialist care levels.

The Government removed VAT from HRT products in budget 2023 to assist with the cost of prescriptions. Six specialist menopause clinics have opened for women who have complex experiences of menopause. Under the new action plan, there are plans to extend the opening hours of these clinics to provide more opportunities for women to avail of the care they provide. A quick reference guide for menopause launched to support general practitioners and practice nurses in diagnostics and treatment at primary care level.

The national menopause awareness campaign was launched in October 2022. This was a direct response to demand from Irish women for greater knowledge and understanding of menopause, as well as better access to accurate information and support. This campaign was relaunched in March 2023 and, it is fair to say, it has had a significant impact in the media, general awareness and public understanding.It was received positively by both women and men who agreed that this is a topic we should be speaking about openly in society. That campaign was accompanied by a dedicated web page to provide trusted information on the menopause as well. It is worth acknowledging that menopause is not uniformly experienced and can present differently for different women in terms of severity, duration and symptoms experienced. Therefore, in respect of HRT, not all women experiencing menopause may be clinically eligible or suitable for HRT, which is a prescription-based treatment. Women may also choose not to take HRT but to address their symptoms through alternative therapies or lifestyle changes. There are often many cures for different ailments and people make individual choices as to which ones to opt for. It is important that women and healthcare providers continue to be educated on the use of HRT and other options and that together they explore all of the options available to find the most suitable one. The Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is confident that the awareness raising among the public and the supports for clinicians introduced in recent years have gone a long way towards improving health outcomes for women experiencing menopause symptoms.

I thank Senator Byrne again for raising this issue and I look forward to hearing her response.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Lawless, for his comprehensive and promising response. I am sorry for misnaming him earlier. I was not thinking straight.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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That is okay. There are two James so it is an easy one to get wrong.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I am aware of the commitment of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and the Government to women's health. I want to acknowledge how far we have come but were we to take that little step further, that would be very welcome. While HRT is not for everyone, it is important that people have a choice. People do not have to take it but they should have the choice. Some people are paying between €30 and €70 for a prescription, which is a lot of money. In that context, I am glad this is something that is being considered.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Again, I thank Senator Byrne for raising this very important issue. I understand exactly the point she is making and will relay it to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. As Senator Byrne has acknowledged, the Minister, his Department and the Government share her passion for and commitment to providing all women in Ireland with a healthcare system that is appropriate to their needs and that is agile and responsive to these issues.

Women's health was identified in the programme for Government as a key priority and in fairness to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, he has advanced that significantly. More than €140 million has been put into the area of women's health since 2020. In March 2022, the women's health action plan was launched, setting out actions to improve women's health outcomes and experiences. One such action is the provision and improvement of menopause supports. The second women's health action plan from 2024 to 2025, builds on that work and has a focus on new and innovative developments, including some of the alternative remedies that I mentioned a moment ago. The plan also places a spotlight on women at mid-life and older living well and living longer and continuing to build on the progress made in menopause care is an important part of that focus.

The Department of Health and the Minister are working with key stakeholders to scope the options available for the provision of State-funded HRT for menopause treatment and details will be made available on this in the near future. I cannot say when exactly the near future is but I believe it is imminent. That really gets to the heart of the Senator's question and I hope it is of assistance.

Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
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The next commencement matter is from Senator Clonan.