Press release
Ministers for Health highlight significant progress in women’s health services
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy Hildegarde Naughton and Minister for Mental Health and Older People Mary Butler have today highlighted the significant progress in the development of women’s health services.
Aligning with the Programme for Government commitment, investment of €140 million since 2020 has enabled several milestone developments as set out in the Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-2023.
These include:
Minister Donnelly said:
"I promised a revolution in women’s healthcare and I’m very pleased to say that we are now looking at a very different landscape for women’s health. Two years on from the launch of the Women’s Health Action Plan, we have set up hubs and clinics for endometriosis, fertility and menopause; we’ve expanded screening services, set up a network of Ambulatory Gynaecology Clinics and introduced a range of supports to meet the health needs of women in Ireland across all life stages.
"The need for these services is clear and we’re seeing high levels of demand, particularly for our Specialist Menopause Clinics and Ambulatory Gynaecology Clinics.
"The success of the Free Contraception Scheme is also evident, with almost 200,000 women accessing this service in the first 10 months of 2023.
"As we reflect on the significant achievements of the last few years, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Women’s Health Taskforce for their work to date in listening to women and their role in improving women’s experiences of health services."
Minister Naughton said:
"The last few years have seen truly transformative improvements in the provision of women’s healthcare services in Ireland and I’m particularly heartened that our department is spotlighting issues that were traditionally seen as taboo, such as menopause.
"Our first national Menopause Awareness Campaign and the gov.ie/menopause website have helped to increase understanding among women, and men, about this normal part of ageing.
"Last year I launched the Menopause in the Workplace Policy Framework for the Civil Service, with my colleague Minister Donohoe. This Framework recognises the need for employers to identify ways in which they can support women who are experiencing symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause."
Minister Butler said:
"Investment in women’s mental health services has included funding for specialist eating disorder posts with 11 multidisciplinary teams in operation, and the rollout of perinatal mental health services for pregnant women and new mothers, in all 19 maternity services.
"Work on embedding the first Women’s Mental Health Charter will further ensure the provision of tailored health services, responding to the fact that women sometimes experience mental health differently to other genders.
"The transformation of women’s healthcare continues, as we are expanding access to digital mental health services and focusing on meeting the needs of marginalised groups to ensure the equal access to quality healthcare for all."
The Women's Health Action Plan 2022 - 2023 sets out women’s priorities for women’s health, including faster access to specialist services, reputable sources of health information and enhanced healthcare experiences. It was developed by the Department of Health in partnership with the HSE, the National Women and Infants Health Programme, the European Institute for Women’s Health, the Irish College of General Practitioners, and the National Women’s Council of Ireland through the work of the Women’s Health Taskforce.
Women’s health highlights: