Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is pushing to expand a state-paid “free” contraception scheme to 16-year-olds as part of Budget 2025, even though the age of consent is 17.

It comes despite a 2019 Working Group on Access to Contraception, under the then Health Minister, Simon Harris, say the scheme would probably be a waste of public funds.

Contraception is currently “free” for women aged 17 to 35, under measures brought in by the Fianna Fáil minister.

However, there is resistance within the Department of Health for the initiative to be extended to girls aged 16 due to “medical ethics” – given that the age of consent in Ireland is 17.

The minister is understood to be pushing back against the “legally complex” issue, as he believes free contraception should be made available to 16-year-old girls, as the State already provides abortions to girls of that age.

Mr Donnelly has also pointed to the age of medical independence being 16 – meaning that, from that age, children can go by themselves to a GP and do not need parental or guardian consent.