Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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658. To ask the Minister for Health when the extended free contraception scheme will come into effect. [48356/22]

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Programme for Government and Women’s Health Action Plan commitments to providing free contraception for women, starting with the 17-25 age cohort, the free contraception scheme for women aged 17-25 was launched on Wednesday 14^thSeptember.

Funding of approximately €9m has been allocated for the scheme in Budget 2022.

The scheme is now open to all 17-25 year-old women ordinarily resident in Ireland and provides for: 

- The cost of prescription contraception; 

- The cost of necessary consultations with medical professionals to discuss suitable contraception for individual patients and to enable prescription of same; 

- The cost of fitting and/or removal of various types of long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) plus any necessary checks, by medical professionals certified to fit/remove same; 

- The cost of training and certifying additional medical professionals to fit and remove LARCs; 

- The cost of providing the wide range of contraceptive options currently available to GMS (medical) card holders, which are also available through this scheme, including contraceptive injections, implants, IUS and IUDs (coils), the contraceptive patch and ring, and various forms of oral contraceptive pill, including emergency contraception. 

- The legal framework for the scheme is provided by the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Act, 2022, which was enacted in July and commenced in September, 2022.  

- Citizen engagement information and publicity campaigns to support and promote the roll out of the scheme were launched by the Department’s Press and Communications Team, the HSE’s Communications team and relevant subject matter experts in the Department and HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy Programme.  Digital information regarding the scheme, how to access it and wider information on contraceptive options is available through www.sexualwellbeing.ie; printed contraceptive choices materials will be placed in GP surgeries from later in September. 

- The Budget 2023 announcement included financial provision for expansion of the scheme to 16 year olds and those aged 26-30.  Funding will be made available to ensure that women aged 26 do not age out of eligibility on 1 Jan 2023 to access the scheme between Jan and Aug 2023, pending the extension of the scheme to 16 year olds (subject to legal advice and consultation) and to those up to aged 30 from Sept 2023.

- It will be possible to extend the eligible age upwards (from 25) to 26-30 year old women by Regulation.  Expansion to 16 year olds is subject to comprehensive legal advice and consultation across Government. Should legal advice and consultation permit, the inclusion of 16 year-olds will require a legislative amendment to the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Act 2022.