The State’s “Free Contraception Scheme” has been expanded to include women aged 32-35, according to the Department of Health.

This means that from 1 July 2024, all women aged 17 to 35, inclusive, will be covered under the scheme.

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

This extension has been supported by an additional €4 million in funding through the Women’s Health Fund under the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025, with a total of €48 million now allocated to the scheme for 2024.

The announcement was careful to include women who now identify as men: “The scheme is open to women, girls and other people identifying as transgender or non-binary . . . and for whom prescription contraception is deemed suitable by their doctors”.