Brian Stanley: Pharmacy contraception - extend free cover to 40
Brian Stanley spoke on the Bill to allow contraception to be supplied through pharmacies, arguing it will improve access, women's control over their fertility and primary care provision. He welcomed the measure as a step forward but urged the Minister to extend free contraception beyond the current 17-35 age band and to lower breast screening eligibility.
Access through pharmacies
Brian Stanley says the legislation will benefit women with endometriosis, lower-income women and those in rural areas who lack easy access to family planning clinics or medical cards. He highlighted that trained pharmacists can provide appropriate contraceptive methods safely and that longer pharmacy opening hours improve practical access.
Rural services and GP workload
The speaker emphasised particular gains for rural counties such as Leash and for localities without family planning clinics, noting the potential to reduce excessive workload on GPs. He argued that pharmacy provision would take pressure off surgeries while keeping services available evenings and weekends.
Age limits and barriers
Stanley called for the free contraception age band (currently 17 to 35) to be extended to at least 40, possibly 45, citing a Trinity College survey that found the age limit is the most cited barrier to access. He urged the Minister to reconsider the scheme's age cap ahead of the next budget, noting it would cost a relatively modest sum.
Breast screening and costs
He also asked the Minister to lower breast check eligibility from 50 to 40 or 45, describing breast screening as a lifesaving measure whose expansion would be a positive health intervention. Stanley acknowledged cost implications but argued the figures involved would not be prohibitive and could save lives and public money in the longer term.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Thanks Comhairle and welcome to the opportunity to speak on this Bill. It's a step in the right direction, Minister, by improving access to contraception through pharmacies. The proposed legislation I believe will be another step forward for women's health, for women's control over their fertility and improving reproductive rights. It will add another building block to enhancing and developing the proper primary care system, which we're supposed to be all working towards launcher care, but it is of course limited. The Bill, as it is, it will bring some benefit for women who have endometriosis and use contraception for that purpose, but also women in lower income groups and women in rural areas who may not have a medical card or access and to be able to obtain certain contraceptives directly through the local pharmacy. It will be of particular benefit in rural counties like Leash and in rural localities where there are no family planning clinics and crucially this will take some of the workload off, excessive workload off GPs. We know that it's increasingly difficult and I've highlighted here many times the difficulties in County Leash in terms of trying to access GPs and if this can be done through pharmacies where they can administer it and they're highly qualified and to do so safely, those contraceptive methods that are appropriate to be done through a pharmacy, that's a good day that we're doing that. Pharmacies are also open later in the evening, Minister, and at weekends. You know when GP surgeries are understandably closed, you know they are nine to five or something actually open to do evening openings now as well, but pharmacies have longer opening hours for opening Saturday and some of them open Sundays, so that will improve access. Women currently aged 17 to 35 can get free contraception, but I certainly would like to see it being extended upwards to at least 40 or possibly the age of 45. Many couples are now leaving it longer to have children due to economic necessity and that's the story in itself as well because we talk a lot about reproductive rights and all that for women and for couples, but unfortunately a lot of people for reasons of housing, access to housing and economic necessity, you know can't, they're delaying it, having children longer than they would like to and I think that's an area that we'll come back to another day, but I would ask that the Minister would look at the benefits of moving the age upwards at least to 40 and if that could be implemented. The Minister did say and certainly reported the same a few months ago that it wasn't a priority, it wasn't on her priority list. Now it should be on the priority list because women are having children into their early 40s, so as I said if it could be extended up to that, up to 40, it would be a big improvement, but I'd like to see it going further than that. A survey four months ago carried out by Trinity College found that the age limit was the most often cited barrier for women who want access to scheme and one in three women face barriers accessing the free contraceptive scheme. So it's good that 203 are able to have it, but 103 isn't and that we must revisit that and I would ask the Minister to take away that message. When I'm speaking on the issue, can I just mention breast check, which has brought huge benefits in terms of early detection and saved many lives Minister, and that's good that it's been a huge step forward in recent years, but that needs to be extended further as well and I'd ask the Minister to consider this. Currently women aged between 50 and 69 can avail of it, but several women have asked me to make the case to lower the eligibility from 50 down to 40 or 45. It wouldn't break the bank to do it. I'm raising this as a serious issue because breast cancer is obviously a huge issue in this country, as is ovarian cancer, which I believe is harder to detect, but the breast check has really been one of those game changers and I would ask that it would be a really positive health measure if we could lower the age for which women are eligible for the breast check. Look, this is a step forward. As I say, I would like to see it going further. I would like to see the age of eligibility at least going up to 40, which would cost only five to six million, as I understand it. It would be a huge change if we do it within this bill and there is a budget coming up and I would ask the government to seriously consider this, along with lowering the age for eligibility to the breast check. Both have a cost, I understand that, but it's not hundreds of millions, you know, it's a relatively small figure. So I hope that this will be given serious consideration by the government. It would save lives, it would improve women's health and it would save lives and save money.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
