I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is a step in the right direction by improving access to contraception through pharmacies. I believe the proposed legislation will be another step forward for women's health, their control over their fertility and improving reproductive rights. It will add another building block to enhancing and developing a proper primary care system, which we are all supposed to be working towards in Sláintecare, but it is of course is limited. The Bill will bring some benefit for women who have endometriosis and use contraception for this purpose, women in lower income groups and women in rural areas who may not have a medical card or access. To be able to obtain certain contraceptives directly through a local pharmacy will be a particular benefit in rural counties such as Laois and in rural localities where there are no family planning clinics. Crucially, this will take some of the excessive workload from GPs. We know it is becoming increasingly difficult to access a GP, and I have highlighted here many times the difficulties in County Laois. This scheme means contraception methods appropriate for safe administration by pharmacists, who are highly qualified to do so, will be administered in pharmacies and it is good day when we are doing it. Pharmacies open late in the evening and at weekends when GP surgeries are understandably closed. GP surgeries operate from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. although some of them open in the evenings now. Pharmacies have longer opening hours and they are open on Saturdays. Some of them open on Sundays. This will improve access. At present, women aged from 17 to 35 can get free contraception but I would like to see this being extended upwards to at least 40 years or possibly to the age of 45. Many couples are now leaving it longer to have children due to economic necessity. This is a story in itself. We talk a lot about reproductive rights for women and couples but, unfortunately, a lot of people, for reasons of housing, access to housing and economic necessity, delay having children longer than they would like to. This is an area we will come back to on another day. Will the Minister look at the benefits of moving the age upwards to at least 40 years? The Minister did say, or was certainly reported as saying a few months ago, that it was not on her priority list. It should be on the priority list because women are having children into their early 40s. If the scheme could be extended to the age of 40 it would be a big improvement, but I would like to see it going further than that. A survey carried out four months ago by Trinity College found that the age limit was the most often cited barrier for women who want to access the scheme. One in three women face barriers accessing the free contraception scheme. It is good that two out of three are able to have it but one out of three is not and we must revisit this. I ask the Minister of State to take away this message. While I am speaking on the issue, I want to mention BreastCheck, which has brought huge benefits in terms of early detection and has saved many lives. It has been a huge step forward in recent years but it needs to be extended further and I ask that the Minister considers this. Women aged between 50 and 69 can avail of it but several women have asked me to make the case for lowering eligibility from the age of 50 down to the age of 40 or 45. It would not break the bank to do so. I am raising this as serious issue because breast cancer is a huge issue in this country, as is ovarian cancer which I believe is harder to detect. BreastCheck has really been one of those game-changers and it would be a very positive health measure if we could lower the age at which women are eligible for BreastCheck. The Bill is a step forward and I would like to see it going further. I would like to see the age of eligibility increasing to at least 40, which would only cost €5 million to €6 million as I understand it. It would be a huge change if we did this in the Bill and there is a budget coming up. I ask the Government to seriously consider this, along with lowering the age of eligibility for BreastCheck. I understand that both have a cost but it is not hundreds of millions of euro and is a relatively small figure. I hope this will be given serious consideration by the Government. It would save lives, improve women's health and save money.

Sentiment score: 0.17