The Free Contraception Scheme has now been expanded to women aged 32-35 years old.
Under the scheme, prescription and emergency contraception is now available to women, transgender and non-binary people from the day of their 17th birthday until the day before their 36th birthday.
Find out more about the HSE Free Contraception Service free contraception services at sexualwellbeing.ie
On 14 September 2022, the Free Contraception Scheme was launched, providing free contraception services to 17-25 year olds.
On 1 January 2023, the Free Contraception Scheme was expanded to include 26 year olds.
On 1 September 2023, the Free Contraception Scheme was expanded to 27-30 year olds.
On 1 January 2024, the Free Contraception Scheme was expanded to 31 year olds.
On 1 July 2024, the Free Contraception Scheme was expanded to 32-35 year olds.
The Report of the Working Group on Access to Contraception, published in October 2019, identified that barriers existed to accessing contraception for a significant proportion of people living in Ireland, with barriers including, but not limited to, accessibility, information, workforce capacity and cost.
The Free Contraception Scheme was developed to remove cost barriers and to expand clinical expertise. The scheme expands access to contraception, in particular, access to the most effective forms of prescription contraception, long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) such as coils and implants. The scheme removes the cost barrier for LARCs, for private patients the cost of consultation, fitting and checks could be as much as €300-€400.
Launching and expanding the scheme were key elements of the work supported by the Women’s Health Action Plan 2022-2023. Continuing to develop and expand the scheme will be continued under its successor, the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2026.
The Free Contraception Scheme is open to women, girls and other people identifying as transgender or non-binary, who are ordinarily resident in Ireland and for whom prescription contraception is deemed suitable by their doctors.
The scheme covers the cost of consultations with GPs, family planning, student health and primary care centres, and prescriptions for the wide range of contraceptive options available on the HSE Re-Imbursement List. These options include long-acting reversible contraception, known as LARCs. LARCs include injections, implants and intra-uterine devices and systems (known as coils). LARC fittings, removals and checks are free of charge under the scheme. The scheme also includes emergency contraception, in addition to the oral contraceptive pill, patch and ring.
Continuity of contraception care is also included for LARCs fitted under the scheme; for people who have had coils or implants fitted while eligible for the scheme, the checks and removals of these devices are still covered, even if the patient is no longer within the eligible age-range.
Women access the Free Contraception Scheme and the services it provides free of charge via their GP and Pharmacist who have strongly supported the scheme since its launch. Almost 2,400 GPs, primary care, family planning and student health centres and other related community medical facilities, and 2,050 community pharmacies were signed up to provide services and products under the scheme.
In 2022, funding of €9 million was secured in Budget 2022 to deliver the scheme from September of that year. Increased funding of approximately €31.5 million was allocated in Budget 2023 to support full year costs for 17-25 year olds and the addition of 26-30 year olds. In 2024, in addition to full year funding for 26-31 year olds, a further €4 million in funding, part of an allocation ringfenced for delivery of women's health services and supports to be delivered through the Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025, was assigned to expand the Free Contraception Scheme to 32-35 year olds. This additional support brings the total allocation for the Free Contraception Scheme to €48 million in 2024.