On March 4, 2025, Seanad Éireann debated the rollout of a free Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) scheme, led by Senator Mary Fitzpatrick of Fianna Fail. Backed by Budget 2025’s €20 million allocation and legislated via the Health Insurance (Amendment) and Health (Provision of Menopause Products) Bill 2024, the programme aims to offset the €30-€70 monthly cost of HRT for menopausal women without medical cards. Fitzpatrick has hailed it as a vital step toward healthcare equity.
However, the proposed scheme’s lack of clear boundaries raises red flags—nothing explicitly bars HRT from being diverted to transgender ‘care’ practices, potentially inflating purposes of HRT beyond what taxpayers signed up for. Others see Fitzpatrick’s push to medicate menopause – a natural life process – as bringing the risk of fostering a culture of dependency on pharmaceuticals. Her advocacy may wear a noble mask, but it’s a €20 million gamble that could saddle taxpayers with a bloated, ill-defined programme.
