Health (Provision of Contraception Prescribing Service in Retail Pharmacy Businesses) Bill 2026: Second and Subsequent Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-16
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Patricia Stephenson (SD), Labour Panel

I thank the Minister for coming in. This is a really positive step. I am delighted she is pushing it forward. By and large, the oral contraceptive is incredibly safe. A lot of well-studied medicines are available. Over-the-counter oral contraception has been recommended by the WHO since 2019. I understand that this process has been endorsed by the Irish Pharmacy Union, which is unequivocal that there is no clinical reason for this not to be done.
I recognise that it is going to alleviate pressure on GPs and expand access for many women, who simply do not have access to a regular GP. The Minister's commitment to further expand what pharmacists can prescribe and dispense is really positive. It has been happening in the North for many years and has worked very well.
Freeing up space for GPs is crucial. We also have to be mindful of the burden it will place on pharmacists without the correct resourcing for pharmacies to deliver the scheme to safeguard against them withdrawing from this or any future scheme simply because they feel they do not have the resources to deliver it in a timely manner. As Senator Costello explained beautifully about her own community pharmacist, they are highly trained experts with extensive knowledge, which this Bill acknowledges, but it is about making sure that they have the capacity to do it well and sustainably.
Families tend to stay with one pharmacy through generations. There is trust at a time when we have little access to our GPs. Many people do not have a regular GP. They rely on online GPs or it can take a month to get an appointment. I know a lot of women my age who cannot go to a GP so they are still spending the €20 to get their repeat prescription from a GP for their oral contraception. The prescription is free when they go to the pharmacy and they have their PPSN, but the process of getting the prescription costs them €20 because they simply cannot get a GP appointment. Women in that category are falling through the gap. I recognise that the Bill is going to address that, which is brilliant. It really is a positive move.
It is also a positive move for migrant women, women who cannot access a GP appointment or women who are forced to avail of online GPs, as I mentioned. It also includes women who do not have access to transport and maybe women experiencing coercive control in a domestic violence situation who cannot pop down to the GP, whereas accessing a pharmacy in a high-street shop is much easier. It creates a sense of additional safety around that.
I want to re-emphasise the piece around the workload for pharmacists. I know the Minister will be working with the Irish Pharmacy Union and moving forward on that, but we must ensure that pharmacies are staffed and resourced in an appropriate way.
The National Women's Council has found that 31% of women experience barriers in accessing the free contraception scheme as it stands. There are obviously concerns about the age restriction, although I know that is changing. I believe the age category for accessing free contraception is to increase in the next women's health action plan but perhaps I misread that. The Minister might refer to it in her response. It may be the case. We do not know yet. We would support an expansion of the scheme to women of fertile age. Just because a woman is over 35 does not necessarily mean she can afford access to contraception.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-16/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:52:17+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-16