Free Contraception: Why Are We Not Following France?

Back in 2019, Health Minister Simon Harris made an important announcement. Free contraception would be available from 2021.

The two-year delay was necessary because there had to be legislation and policy issues, he claimed, to be dealt with “when it comes to the female side of contraception”.

Indeed! Very complicated stuff our born-again liberal was implying.

In reality, it was a total lie. Harris and Fine Gael did absolutely nothing. The idea of providing a free service ran counter to their whole political philosophy.

Yet France has just gone ahead and announced that it will provide free contraception to all women who want it. It is a basic measure to help women who could not afford contraception to avoid unnecessary pregnancy.
And the cost comes in at less than €30 million – for a country that is far larger than Ireland.

It is a scandal that the same measure has not been adopted in Ireland. The former huge movement that won Repeal needs to re-visit this issue and turn the pressure onto this government.