Women's health budget measures
Deputy Higgins welcomed budget funding for women’s health, free contraception and supports for period poverty, then criticised a billboard near the Coombe. The Tánaiste welcomed the package, said the contraception scheme would begin next year, and noted safe access zone legislation.
I ask Deputies for their co-operation as there are 13 more speakers to get through. Some Members are indicating that they wish to come in on another question. I remind them that there is a new system in place and they may not come in on another Member's question.
Comment on this
This week's budget included a lot of wins for women, including a €31 million healthcare package that will help to tackle period poverty and provide investment in sexual assault treatment and maternity services. The provision of free contraception for young women aged 17 to 25 is particularly progressive.
This idea was raised during the debate on the referendum on the eighth amendment. In that referendum in 2018 the people of Ireland had the opportunity to have their say on the issue of abortion loud and clear and yet today, metres from the Coombe hospital, a provocative 6 ft tall billboard is encouraging women to rethink abortion. This is a blatant attempt to cause upset, trauma and emotional turmoil. Back in August the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, confirmed his commitment to introducing legislation on safe access zones. Where is that legislation and will it deal with issues like these advertisements?
Comment on this
I would like to join the Deputy in welcoming the significant package for women's health contained in the budget, which includes real funding to implement the national maternity strategy. That is a strategy I was privileged to be part of drawing up when I was Minister for Health.
A new scheme providing free contraception to women aged 17 to 25 will be set up next year. It is a start and we will get it going. We may be able to extend it to women above 25 in future years but as is always the case with a scheme like this, it needs to be phased in and done right. The legislation on safe access zones is still promised and it is in the Minister's work plan. I do not have a date for it coming to the Cabinet yet but it is intended to be done and we can examine the possibility of containing some rules around advertising within that legislation. We ban advertising for tobacco, alcohol and so on in certain zones so perhaps we can do the same with this.