Press Release: Minister for Health publishes reports from Women’s Experiences of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum
Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, has today published a collection of reports from the Women’s Experiences of Healthcare in Ireland Listening Forum. The three reports were commissioned by the Women’s Health Taskforce to support the ongoing drive to improve women’s health services in Ireland.
The initiative involved listening sessions conducted in partnership with the National Women’s Council in order to gather women’s perspectives on healthcare, including specific insights from women in priority groups. The resulting three reports highlight some significant differences in experiences shared by the priority groups, compared to those of the general population.
There were a number of positive experiences reported by women, reflecting extensive investment of €180 million in women’s healthcare since 2020. This has enabled delivery of a suite of new services including specialist menopause clinics, fertility hubs and state-funded Assisted Human Reproduction services, postnatal hubs and the Free Contraception Scheme which provides a free end-to-end contraception service for all women in Ireland aged 17 to 35.
Women also praised the efficiency of the BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen programmes, as well as highlighting positive experiences with maternity services and with the quality and continuity of care provided by GPs, doctors and nurses.
Areas identified for improvement included access to healthcare, the provision of information and being treated with respect and dignity. Crossover themes identified by both the general population and priority groups included a two-tier health system, not being listened to, difficulties when attending/accessing maternity hospitals, feeling dismissed and encountering patriarchal attitudes.
Fieldwork for the study was completed in Spring 2025, prior to the introduction in June 2025 of state-funded Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for women experiencing symptoms of menopause.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
“These important reports amplify the voices of women across Ireland and shine a light on both the strengths and challenges within our healthcare service.
“The experiences documented reflect the progress of recent years. The landscape of women’s health services is almost unrecognisable from what it was less than a decade ago. We have a network of fertility hubs, endometriosis and menopause clinics, a growing network of postnatal hubs and see-and-treat gynaecology clinics as well as free contraception and HRT to help reduce the cost burden traditionally associated with being female.
“Awareness and training among healthcare professionals has also improved and I’m pleased to see this highlighted in these reports. However, we must continue to improve, to ensure that all women, regardless of age, location or ethnicity, are afforded timely, quality care delivered with dignity and respect.
“The Women’s Health Fund has supported several initiatives aimed at improving access to and engagement with health services among marginalised groups. In line with the priorities outlined in Budget 2026, we are working to address existing gaps in services through targeted investment in each of the six Health Service Executive Health Regions.
“We must do so in a way that puts the patient at the centre ensuring that every cent invested in women’s healthcare is targeted in a way that achieves the best health outcomes.
“I am grateful to everyone who shared their stories and insights, and to NWCI for its valuable work. This collaboration will bring us all closer to a more equitable health service that supports women’s health and wellbeing across all life stages.”