National Women’s Council welcomes free HRT as a game-changer for women

Published: Tuesday, October 01, 2024

National Women’s Council welcomes Free HRT as a game-changer for women  

Press release, 1st October 2024, for immediate release 

The National Women’s Council (NWC) has welcomed the announcement in Budget 2025 that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) will be free for all women experiencing menopause, from January 2025. The new investment will fund the cost of HRT medicines, patches, and devices . NWC has also welcomed the expansion of the Free IVF scheme. 

NWC Director Orla O’Connor said:  

“There has been a significant shift in Irish society in relation to the menopause, with women’s stories and experiences being widely shared. Today’s announcement on HRT reflects that their voices have been heard and, coupled with the free contraception scheme, it is hugely positive for women’s reproductive health.  

HRT can be a game-changer for women who choose to avail of it, offering relief from symptoms of menopause like hot flushes, mood swings, joint pain, and it can even lower the risk of long-term conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease.”  

NWC’s Women’s Health Coordinator Doireann Crosson said:  

“NWC is also welcoming the expansion of the Free IVF scheme to allow couples with an existing child to access treatment, and to include donor-assisted IVF. These expansions will have a significant positive impact on the lives of those who avail of them. In particular, the inclusion of donor-assisted IVF will be welcome for LGBTQI+ couples.” 

NWC will be analysing the women’s health package as it becomes available in detail over the coming days.  

For further NWC analysis of Budget 2025, please also read our overall Budget 2025 press release.  

Ends/ 

For comment: Orla O’Connor and Doireann Crosson  

For more information, please contact Sinéad Nolan, NWC Communications and Social Media Coordinator, 085 8619087 or Silke Paasche, NWC Head of Communications on 085-8589104 

Notes: 

About NWC  

The National Women’s Council is the leading national representative organisation for women and women’s groups in Ireland, founded in 1973. We have over 190 member groups and a large and growing community of individual supporters. 

The ambition of the National Women’s Council is an Ireland where every woman enjoys true equality and no woman is left behind. This ambition shapes and informs our work, and, with our living values, how we work.  

We are a movement-building organisation rooted in our membership, working on the whole island of Ireland. We are also part of the international movement to protect and advance women’s and girls’ rights. Our purpose is to lead action for the achievement of women’s and girls’ equality through mobilising, influencing, and building solidarity. Find out more on www.nwci.ie