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National Women’s Council welcomes dedicated funding for women’s health in Budget 2021

Published: Wednesday, October 14, 2020

The National Women’s Council (NWC) today welcomed the sizeable, dedicated funding for women’s health in Budget 2021.

Women’s Health Taskforce

Orla O’Connor, Director of NWC said,

“It is positive to see a 5 million dedicated fund for women’s health included in Budget 2021. This will be vital to implement the actions of the Women’s Health Taskforce and help to create a more women centred health service, including mental health.  We know that women live longer with more years of ill health, that women are affected in greater number by depression and anxiety and that women provide the majority of care to family members. We also need to address the health inequalities of particular groups of women including Traveller women, homeless women, disabled women and socially disadvantaged women.”

Maternity, gynaecology and fertility services

Cliona Loughnane, Women’s Health Coordinator, NWC said,

“We welcome the additional 12 m funding for maternity, gynaecology and fertility services. This will be crucial to boost the implementation of the maternity strategy after it has stalled for some time. While this funding will improve our maternity services going forward, we are very conscious of the serious difficulties women and partners are experiencing right now in the maternity services due to the Covid-19 restrictions. We believe women should be allowed to have one support person for their appointments, scans and all stages of labour and birth.”

Breast Check and CervicalCheck

She continued, 

“We welcome the 10 m investment into screening services, including BreastCheck and CervicalCheck. It is important that a full screening service resumes as quickly as possible and that the backlog which occurred during the Covid-19 crisis is addressed.”

Ends/

For more information, please contact Silke Paasche, Head of Communications, NWC, Tel. 085 858 9104.