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HEALTH MINISTER STEPHEN Donnelly contacted a doctors’ representative group following reports that some GP clinics had attempted to charge women for contraception despite them being eligible for the free scheme.
The Free Contraception Scheme was rolled out in September 2022 and was incrementally expanded to include all women between the ages of 17 and 35.
It includes implants, IUDs, and oral contraceptives, such as the pill, as well as all contraception-related appointments.
The Journal reported earlier this month that some women continue to be charged for their contraception despite being eligible for the scheme.
Donnelly told The Journal that following the report, he contacted the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) to ensure that there was clear communication with its members about the scheme and how it works.
“The first time I was aware of that actually was when I read The Journal article and so we spoke to the department about it straight away,” the minister said.
“There’s contact with the IMO to get their assistance in communicating to their members to say no woman between the age of 17 and 35 is to be charged.
“My hope is it was a small number and that it was a clerical error rather than anything else.”
The minister said it was essential that communication around the scheme was “very, very clear” and that as a State-funded service, no woman who is eligible should be charged.
“I doubt anyone was doing it on purpose but it doesn’t matter, it can’t happen,” he added.
Zoe Coady, an influencer from Dublin, took to TikTok to share her own experience of almost being charged €70 for getting a contraceptive implant changed.
The video now has over 25,000 likes and more than 300 comments, many of which were from women sharing similar experiences.
One commenter said she was almost charged €300 for appointments related to the coil. She said the receptionist was “not impressed” when she informed her that it was free.
Another said the receptionist was “snarky” after she refused to pay for her repeat prescription.
With reporting by Mairead Maguire.
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Love to see O’Gorman gone.
He is the most obnoxious person in politics and has cost the Taxpayers of Ireland hundreds of millions of Euros.
@Gerard Carey: How has he cost taxpayers money?
@Gerard Carey: unfortunately he could be replaced by the even more obnoxious Coppinger.
@Jason Memail: Let’s put it this way, he a great man for Tweeting in about 6 different languages.
@Gerard Carey:
Fianna Fail cost the tax payer nearly a hundred billion in 2008 but they’re grand let’s vote them back in. Which is more a few hundred million or 100 billion?
@Jason Memail: paying out for economic migrants
@Andrew Harrington: educate yourself, Dick
@Jason Memail: have you been in a coma or what,who the f do you think pay for all the illegals he invited, all the tax increases on fuel,etc
@Nodon: came here to say that. What a hateful woman she is. A scourge.
@Gerard Carey: which he blaitley denied while out canvasing. A bare faced lier!
@Gerard Carey: all the anti-immigration parties got eliminated
@Robert Boyd: You’re the xenophile that needs educating!
@Jason Memail: By inviting thousands of unvetted immigrants into Ireland and promising them the land of milk & honey
@Dave G Doe: Hopefully one day Kama will arrive at your doorstep and treat you as a leper also
@Criostoir Mac Raghnaill: troll-doe has s.f.a else goin for him. Gotta pity him really. Form of self loathing .MUTE& REPORT it.
@Andrew Harrington: there should be a reckoning on COVID decisions and on those who facilitate the immigration from non EU countries
@Criostoir Mac Raghnaill: dont feed the troll just mute him and report him,,,
@Jason Memail: take the blinkers off
@Dominic Leleu: judging by the results of local and eu elections, and the current standings from general elections, every one of the ani immigration parties have been rejected by the majority of Ireland, great to see its only a minority believing all the lies from american far right agitators and west brits
@Dominic Leleu: Covid decisions saved thousands of lives and many more thousands of people getting Long Covid.
Immigration illegal and otherwise is a different issue
@Paul O Connor: Exactly makes no sense. People forget too easy
@Sean Parker:
Bitter little woman
@Dave G Doe:
Five more years for the knuckle daggers to learn how to behave in a modern successfull western democracy.
@F1rYnpWc: they always will as long as morons like Blighe, Dwyer and Pepper are the face of them. If they actually ran candidates who could string a coherent sentence together and didn’t have a rap sheet as long as your arm, and actually had a bit of knowledge of the situation rather than just being professional lie machines, they might actually have a chance. Luckily none of them have the brains to realise this.
@Jason Memail: By inviting halfthe world here against the wishesof the Irish people. Free homes, med cards, Policing peaceful communities who object, cleaning the filth left behind in the city, etc etc etc.
Not that hard to see.
@Gerard Carey: there all the same line there own pockets with cash
@Gerard Carey: Jason asked you a straight question. Can you respond with a straight answer!
@Gerard Carey: unfortunately he has just been elected.
@Robert Boyd: why do so many let themselves down with poor language and rudeness. Think you are called keyboard warriors. Can do it anonymously but in person probably not. Be a gentleman always.
@Criostoir Mac Raghnaill: I was an unvetted immigrant in the 1990s, came over hoping for a better life for myself and my baby. Best decision I ever made. Ireland is a country with issues but I’d rather live here than anywhere else in the world for a variety of reasons. I have citizenship and am getting a degree in Irish Literature and Equality. Why can’t you be proud of the nation you’ve created? That’s why people come here.
@Paul O Connor: except they didn’t cost the taxpayer anything. I love this BS line that people who are completely ignorant and uneducated on the matter throw out. Did FF bring down Lehmans and Fanny Mae they did? Did FF plunge the world into a global depression they did? FF bailed out the banks. What you don’t realise is you know everyone with savings in those banks? They’d all be gone had they let them fail. Bailing out the banks was unpopular and I get it. But what would have been more unpopular is telling people that their 30k or whatever in savings is gone or that their pension is gone. I usually find that a good policy is to not speak on things you don’t understand.
@Brian Molloy: they get massive money from the EU wise up
@Gerard Carey: in fairness, his obnoxiousness is nothing compared to any of the Fine Gael / Fianna Fail politicians
@Paul O Connor: and FG accepted that debt, and added austerity taxes that we still live with. they promised to negotiate that debt but didn’t. 50% drop in support for FG, people have had enough of their greedy ways, hopefully their input is diminished from now.
@Eoin Jackson: Eoin, that’s a cop out, pure revisionism. Yes, Ireland was caught up in the global crash and many things were beyond the governments control.. they certainly couldn’t have prevented it. But our level of exposure is on them. The banks balance sheets were 4 times the Irish GDP through wreckles lending.. Government became over reliant on property transfer taxes and didn’t rein them in. Despite being warned.. they were too busy riding the money wave themselves that they not only ignored the level of exposure, but told anyone thinking or talking along these lines to kill themselves. The world economy crashed but FFs incompetence made us pay a far bigger price than was necessary. It’s what happens when a shyster without a bank a/c manage your affairs.
@Gerard Carey: in a climate emergency which is contributing to immigration and the housing emergency and the very narrow minded ditch the greens. Vast majority are too uneducated to realise it’s all connected
Shinner support down. Wallace and Daly eliminated early in their counts. It’s been a good day. Cheers!
Plus not even one seat for the hardline anti immigration parties
The low turnout speaks volumes about how people think nothing is going to change and don’t think they have any control
@Faejit Balloobas: It was pouring rain.
@Faejit Balloobas: it’s the people who don’t vote give us the government we have. If change was needed the only way is for the” no opinion no voters ” to get out and vote.
@finbarr walsh:
But there is no guarantee they will vote any of the clowns on the opposition benches in.
@Faejit Balloobas: people should be fined for not voting, as too businesses that don’t afford the time to employees to cast their legitimate vote. It’s not a privilege. It’s a responsibility!
@Me Me: takes 5 mins to vote, nearly half of population cudnt be bothered
@Sean Og Daithi Davy Fitzy: it isn’t a responsibility or a legal obligation to vote. Democratic right not to. Yeah, try fining those who didn’t.
Love to see that play out. Maybe some folk didn’t vote as form of protest? Maybe some saw every candidate too inept to bother voting for? Of course you can’t give out about govt. when you don’t vote either. Would’ve liked to see a radical change happen too, but… as one commenter here said: voters here under Stockholm syndrome.
@burrito girl: you must live beside the polling centre….some people have to drive 40 minutes to their polling station and back again. Throw in work, kids and atrocious weather and it might give you a reality check
As long as the greens are wiped out and O’Gorman loses his seat that’s a win win for me.
@Denis Murphy: doesn’t matter we still have committed targets on emissions set by the EU. Taxes on polluting will continue with aplomb
@Denis Murphy: Amen to that
No single party should be allowed to Run as two parties and transfer to each other like FFG when they have been the exactly the same for years with pretend different
Hilarious the SF paid propaganda team made up of Michale Kane and FG’s Rental Trap are nowhere to be found today. Looks like the stand down order from the Army Council came through.
@Trump24: probably have been disappeared, shortly followed by third count Mary Lou
@Trump24: imagine people having a life and being busy all yesterday and today
@F1rYnpWc: troll-doe has s.f.a else goin for him. Gotta pity him really. Form of self loathing .MUTE& REPORT it. Comments section improves with the mutes.
(Never argue with a f00l, others might see you as one too.)
@F1rYnpWc: Ah welcome back is it all crazy in SF HQ is Mary Lou looking forward to retirement.
@Trump24: love how you spam this comment on every election related article you absolute ham.
@Dave G Doe: think you are associating me as a lesser voted political party supporter? I’m 17 and can’t vote. You however…. you are not right.
(Ffs… bringing me down to your level even responding 2 ya -fanny. )
What TF is with East Meath voting that yoke McEntee back in.. Jesus wept. More of the same Woooke then
@Vinnie M: Check their candidates. Don’t think they have many choices.
@Slando Max: Yeah OK, still though it’s depressing to think she may continue as MFJ
@Vinnie M: I live in the constituency and she is the only TD that gets back to people. I hear this all the time, so that’s why she topped the poll.
@Vinnie M: You use the word woke and yet don’t know what it actually means.
A lot of people do the same. Like fascist and communist and all the words they see on line, and yet do not actually know what the mean.
Google it and see, most people would actually consider themselves WOKE if they knew what it meant!
@Gary Kearney:
Woke=spoilt child of the celtic tiger, never heard the word No from perants.
@Vinnie M: Why didn’t you put your name forward…..
Green party are all but wiped out… Great news
Tom, Dick & Harris
Won’t be voting again.. what’s the point? No democracy anymore in Ireland with FF/FG joining up every time.
@Eamon Morris: thinking same is sad . But people spoke . Ff and fg again .
@Eamon Morris: But that is the result of this democratic election. What do you want? People have to change their minds FIRST before the basic result changes.
@Eamon Morris: an election IS democracy. Just you are not in tune with Irish people
The same shower will be back , suppose people are happy the way this sh@t show is run
@Mark Dunne: not all, it looks like the Greens are getting a wipe out equivalent to when Gormley’s Greens tried introducing the water meters
@Dave G Doe: you forgot to include your signature ‘lol’ John Doe, Jane Doe, Dave Doe, Mog Doe!
@Dave G Doe: safe and stable for some folk, high income folk maybe
@Mark Dunne: such a simplistic view of politics. The party names are the same, but the manifesto changes every few years. The mix of parties in government means you get a very different programme for government each time. The nuance means that we never get unchecked power like you’d see in States or UK with landslide wins. It is very safe and very moderating of extremist views. I’m grateful for it.
@Dave G Doe: dave gonout a play with the traffic like a good fella, I’d say your still in your mammys box room eating a Rustler burger 2 min microwave job.
@Mark Dunne: sure
@Jason Walsh: ah do you know what safe and stable means?
@Dave G Doe: is a multi account holder who spams comment sections,having conversations with himself. Names vary from Frank Mccarthy, Doe,buster,trump24,tired tim,freda people and many more. He is a troll
@Dave G Doe: Where? Not in Ireland, it won’t
@Mark Dunne: well it’s quite obvious they are.
@HisMastersAlibi: troll-doe has s.f.a else goin for him. Gotta pity him really. Form of self loathing .MUTE& REPORT it. Comments section improves with the mutes.
(Never argue with a f00l, others might see you as one too.)
@John Paul Long: troll-doe has s.f.a else goin for him. Gotta pity him really. Form of self loathing .MUTE& REPORT it. Comments section improves with the mutes.
(Never argue with a f00l, others might see you as one too.)
@William Rymer: I’m very thankful for our democracy too. Social media has done a right number on it over the last ten years. I hope we still have our democracy in 2034.
@William Rymer: Well said!
@William Rymer: A lot of people do nit understand that, politics is constantly changing, as are the parties.
If it was as simple as people on here think it is, life would be wonderful!
@Jason Walsh:
High income folk needed to continue covering the dole jockies.
@Mark Dunne: anything but the murder apologists and gangster of SF! Shower of creeps
@wwvCLOuF: you can say that again
@John Paul Long: Doh
Thanks for ruining the future of our country everybody
@Brian Dennehy: how?
@Brian Dennehy: my vote wouldn’t even have made a difference.
@Brian Dennehy:
Calm down. We are one of the top countries in the world to live in.
@Brian Dennehy: why? Because they did not vote your way? Those that did vote, voted the way they wanted. It is called democracy. And as to those that didn’t, I think the claims I have seen about the numbers of people not turning up to vote, is a bit exaggerated. For instance myself and the wife got 4 polling cards between us that we know of….1 each at our current address and one each to our family home addresses which for both of is are in different constituencies. And we have had other addresses over the years, both as individuals and together, where we were registered to vote. And we are probably not the only ones.
@Pat Barry: Have you ever asked to have your name removed from a register? How are they meant to know you have moved?
@Me Me: when you move constituency, you register with the local authority that the constituency you moved to falls under, using your PRSI number. Now I have tried several times to get myself removed from the home and actually thought I had succeeded in the 2020 GE, as no polling card had arrived for me then but my sister rang me this time around to let me know that one arrived this time and when I checked it out, I was still there. Now, seeing as you need to provide your PRSI number when registering, I should not have even had to try removing myself, the times I did, seeing as the authorities can use our PRSI numbers to trace everything else. Why not sort this out, once and for all nation wide.
@H Woo: this country is in tatters.
@Brian Dennehy:
The Irish have never had it so good.
Never vote again, finished.
@Dan Murphy: thats what they want you to do
Middle of winter
Close to xmas
Just after a bumper budget
This election was called for a low turn out
@Dan Murphy: That’s the very reason the election results have gone as they did. The discontent on social media should have meant a washout for the current government but the discontented obviously didn’t vote! That’s democracy for you!
@Tonya Hanly: I take what I see on social media with a heavy pinch of salt. People can say whatever they want, and there’s no way to verify it, or to verify the person behind the comment is real.
@Dan Murphy: you’re some genius. The ONLY issue with democracy is not that people may vote differently. It’s that there are a lot of ignorant and serving-people out there than you’d like to know and admit!
Bad Day to call an election’ Black Friday ‘ too near to Christmas ‘ should be held on a Saturday & Sunday
@Mark Breathnach: black Friday is essentially black week now. Plus the polls are open for 15 hours. The sales hardly stopped people voting.
We’ll never learn! It’s embarrassing. Done with this country
@Éanna o Sca: why ?
@Johnny Wilson: have you been around last 5yrs?
@Éanna o Sca: yup completely agree. Renewed my passport this month (in fairness the online service was super easy and quick just a shame about my mugshot lol!!) Flying out on the 21st and don’t intend to return. The last straw was the Dept withdrawing my Medical Card when I’m on expensive medication and homeless just because I started a further education course after my other post grads. I might fly back home to some sort of existence if I unfortunately lose my documentation on the plane hmmmm…
@Donna Fallon: where are you emigrating to?
@Dave G Doe: you’re obv unemployed sponging off the system and ya know you’re possibly right. #waster
@Donna Fallon: Cost of your medication is irrelevant. €80 max you will pay.
@Donna Fallon:
You only pay 80euro a month max for medacation in Ireland.
Are you spoofing.
@Donna Fallon:
What’s the name on the country your are moving to. and will it’s taxpayers be expected to support your lifestyle.
@Éanna o Sca: He is a pure Langer.
@Éanna o Sca: Make that 100 years
Come on gerry!!!
@Dale Voinz: idiot
Why do they use pencils?
@Andy Preneur: they last longer then pens and are cheaper. Also People are less likely to put a pencil in their pocket.
@Andy Preneur: Ink washes off ballot papers easier than pencil. So pencil is, oddly, more secure!
I am glad I left Ireland for sunny Spain last January at the age of 53 because if I was still there I would be fuming. Nothing ever changes in corrupt Ireland. Anyone who hasn’t voted should be ashamed of their selves. Voting should be compulsory and for Irish passport holders only.
Only Irish citizens can vote in general elections here (though in a reciprocal arrangement with UK British citizens normally resident here can vote too). If you restrict it to passport holders you could disenfranchise many citizens.
How can be politicians for 25 year??? And live from the state and money from the tax payer is like you are in the social welfare. For real politicians have to be for 4 years an then find a job
@Hugo Omar Martinez: It is a job And a really important one. Clown
@Hugo Omar Martinez: Silly boy
So far, this is a very satisfying result. The Greens have been all but eliminated – thank whoever your god is. In Longford- Westmeath the FF jackass -Joe Flaherty – looks set to lose his seat. His sole claim to fame as a TD was to write a letter of recommendation to a District Court Judge on behalf of a local criminal family. It was so gross that even Mee Hole Martin was moved to chastise him
@Minnie Mouse: The Greens may be almost totally eliminated, but core green policies and beliefs will remain. They have to. The environmentalist and green campaigner, Karen Dubsky, once said that she looks forward to the day when a specific Green Party becomes unnecessary. And that is so true. And now, thankfully, other parties are taking note of the policies and taking them on board.
@Me Me: the Greens put this country back years.
@gregory pym: How?
@Me Me: take a look at the energy sector for a start. Most expensive electricity in Europe and a massive shortage in generating capacity. All that money wasted on cycle lanes no one uses. Lack of housing due to their policies. Gormless inviting the world’s chancers here n 10 languages. I could write all day about their incompetence.
Ireland is f@#ked
@Sandra Lysaght: it’s not, just like local elections all the far right were rejected by the vast majority of the electorate.
@Johnny Wilson: people didn’t vote for candidates with criminal convictions during riots! Imagine!
@Sandra Lysaght: fecked anyways.
@Sandra Lysaght:
Calm little one.
Ireland will continue to be a stable successful damocracy now that the Shinner is again put to one side by the Irish people. Which has to be a good thing.
Our presence will always be in this government, and particularly for who don’t believe they are Irish and march to a different drum, the young people of Ireland know their future and it’s not with this government , they are power hungry and will hang in there at all costs, and throw us a few sweets now and then to keep us begging.
@Phillip Smyth: The people of Ireland have voted and spoken through the ballot box… That’s something you need to realise
Fianna Fail men are real men
@Fintan Pox: Now, fintan!! (Wokeys will castrate ya for not saying they/them are real… )
I was disgusted that someone could make a baseless liable comment about Gino Kenny who is like everyone else makes mistakes he is human and did alot for clondalkin but someone here put that he looked like a craic head he never taken drugs in his life , this little troll behind a screen can say such a thing, it’s ppl like that that piss and moan about everything but doesn’t have the courage to do anything about it, it’s a thankless job and he served his country well for.over 10 years stood in the rain with ppl about the water charges and send letter and meeting to get an equation cente in clondalkin, stood against the pipe line, that gobeen that wrote that comment was probably smoking one to say about someone looks he m
@Mairead “Mkenny” Kenny: Totally agree with you…. Lots of keyboard warriors. Empty vessels make the most noise…
@Blue Moon: I agree , the trolls r ppl who have too much time.on their hands and not enough brains in their head
You get what you voted for.
Look at the french government. They got what they did not vote for.
Great coverage from you guys. Thank you very much.
Based on the voting result the majority of voters are happy with the 3 big parties. Nobody wants to take a risk with people before profit or greens or everyone else who has never proven to be any any good steering the country. They are all just talk and no action.
@no no no: actually your wrong on that pbp Gino Kenny tells it like it is, ppl have short memories when he was holding protests organising meetings for homeless and water charges my mam used to say in the lashing of rain did many turn up ah around 4 or 5 ppl so say what I want about different parties I have to correct I on that one, also remember the roots last year that ppl smashed up millions worth of damage someone release is home add and threaten to touch his house with him in it and someone have put his mother’s telephone number ,which is where I live so just saying
@Mairead “Mkenny” Kenny: Gino wasn’t re-elected
@Blue Moon: I know that Hun
@no no no: obviously Ur not from his constituency pbp did plenty of action, organize marches , water charges standing with the ppl from Lloyds the girls getting unfair pay, and the oil pipe lines, plus the kiseoge school stood with labours that were not getting full pay .
could go on, shiners change their mind every 3 mins plus they had the check to come around the door 1st time ever came around my door I asked him to do something for me I never heard from him again ,.another lady i know she asked him.for.something ring me back no answer goes to show
Whadda load of oul s.h.1.t.
A huge 50% drop in support for FG during their time in government. Speaks volumes really. Taxpayer has had enough of their greed. They were happy to add and retain austerity taxes, but when their tax take was exceeding budget by double digits year after year and people’s pockets were gouged they sat idly by and watched people struggle. I hope this is now the time FF start repaying the debt owed to the people of Ireland who bailed out those greedy banks.
Monk is elected!
@Fintan Pox: no he’s not and probably will just miss out
@Fintan Pox: Nope.
Fianna Fail will be the biggest party, we all need Fianna Fail
@Meatball Martin: the doe has a new FAKE account,,,
Delighted to see the back of the Greens.
All the people that comment about this party is bad and this should be done.
Do any of them get involved in politics or in campaigns.
It is easy to come on here and moan. It is a lot harder to go out and do the work.
Me, I do the work! I feel I have the right to complain as I have put my skin in the game!
@Gary Kearney: lay off the pies Gary
@Gary Kearney: fair play ppl piss and moan, ppl going out and spoiling votes like what the point
Mary Toilet going into government with Fianna Fail
@Meatball Martin: don’t be so rude, she’s Mary Loo.
@J McGovern: She?
The people were supposed to be sick of FF FG but voted them back in
Imagine if the gap between The Monk and next remaining candidate is less than 228 votes
and have on your political CV my transfers elected the Monk good on you Mary Lou another 5 years shouting and balling from the sidelines it must be torture
Monk is in the Dail
@Fintan Pox: it’s OK. Monk= blue collar crime. FFG= white collar crime allowance.
@j m m:
Sinn Fein = cheap diesel
@H Woo: aghh mate… h woo-doe, is it? 5 aliases on the go? Go on, get outta here for a walk or something. Some genuinely concerned people for you on here. You’re not right!
@H Woo: that referring to me as sf supporter? Hmm.. interesting.
@H Woo: ffg= Expensive everything
Why is this article dated November 8th?? What is it with those graphs??
We can all get back to normality again. Funny how 70% of Mary’s surplus went to Gerry!!!
@chris gaffney: Just shows the sort of filth that vote SF.
Thanks
Congratulations to the journal. The easiest and clearest way to keep up to date
N
Don’t want to hear any more complaining since people are comfortable bringing back the same people that have caused us problems.
@mel 02: not me i dodnt vote for them.
@mel 02:
Where things better before.
Good to be back
Poor results
And I thought vote counting was slow in US elections this is ridiculously slow.
@Denis Murphy: remember they bought thousands of euros years ago there now in storage I can’t remember if it counted the votes or I voted on it, if anyone knows?
Would be better off in South Korea
What’s wrong with folks that reckon Coppinger is electable, what an odious troll
have your say