Health Minister says free HRT scheme will start as soon as possible

The HRT scheme will be rolled out soon after major delays

However, Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has not confirmed a launch date for the scheme.

The national plan was due to be rolled out in January but has since faced delays.

According to The Irish Examiner, the minister's spokesperson said she is "committed to the implementation of the HRT measure as announced in Budget 2025."

Her spokesperson added:

"The Department of Health and Health Service Executive has engaged extensively with the Irish Pharmacy Union [IPU] in relation to the practical rollout of this measure.

"The Minister remains actively engaged on the matter, with the goal to introduce this measure as soon as possible."

Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill explained why the national plan was delayed in February.

She confirmed that the Irish Pharmacy Union and the Department of Health have been meeting to discuss a solution.

“The government set aside money to pay for the products but not the dispensing fee for pharmacists.

“I have met the pharmaceutical union. I am engaging with it to see if there is something we can do.

"The reality is we do not have the budget to carry the dispensing fees,” the Minister for Health stated.

“So if a woman is getting two HRT products, for example, she is paying two dispensing fees which might be €7, €8, €9 or €10 per product.

“We intend to cover the cost of the medication. Were we to extend the budgetary allowance for that, I would have to take that from somewhere else, and that would mean we could not do something else.”

“I am trying to find a resolution. Please allow me a couple of weeks to allow me to do that,” she said.

The IPU confirmed that a number of unresolved issues remain.

It is understood that women could save €840 annually when the scheme is eventually rolled out.