Press Release: Tuesday 5 November 2024
Minister for Health announces that legislation providing for HRT has concluded all Stages in the Houses of the Oireachtas
The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced the completion of the Health Insurance (Amendment) and Health (Provision of Menopause Products) Bill in the Seanad, completing its passage through both Houses of the Oireachtas.
The Bill, which contains legislation providing for publicly-funded HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) will now be sent to the President for signature.
The passing of the legislation paves the way for state-funded HRT products to be made available from January to women experiencing symptoms of menopause.
The initiative is being supported by €20 million in funding as part of Budget 2025.
Minister Donnelly said:
“Today marks another important milestone in the ongoing evolution of women’s healthcare in Ireland. The past four years have seen unprecedented investment and improvement in services for women across all life stages, including the roll-out of free contraception, specialist clinics for the management of menopause and endometriosis and publicly-funded IVF.
“No one should be financially disadvantaged in accessing healthcare because of their gender, and by funding HRT products that have been prescribed for women experiencing symptoms of menopause, we are significantly reducing the cost burden.
“I’m delighted that the passage of this Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas now provides a legal basis for this provision, and I look forward to seeing legislation enacted in the coming weeks.”