Ireland enters its Presidency of the Council of the EU with a credible record on women’s health, and with a clear opportunity to turn national progress into European momentum. Its Women’s Health Taskforce has sought to give women’s health more consistent, expert and sustained attention within its health system. A wide-ranging listening exercise showed that menopause was repeatedly raised by women who felt isolated, unsupported and left without reliable information.
Ireland has since invested substantially in women’s health, expanded public supports and placed lived experience at the centre of reform. Six specialist menopause clinics have been established for women with complex symptoms, while most menopause care continues to be delivered through primary care. From June 2025, women with a prescription and registered under the relevant payment schemes have been able to access hormone replacement therapy products free of charge through participating pharmacies.
Ireland has also tackled the stigma around menopause through a national awareness campaign, encouraging women, families, colleagues and employers to speak more openly about menopause. In the workplace, a menopause policy framework for the civil service now guides organisations in developing policies, providing adjustments and supporting attendance and performance. General Practicioner (GP) training has also been strengthened, including through work with the Irish College of GPs and the British Menopause Society.
The Healthy Ireland Survey 2025 now includes a dedicated menopause module, to build the evidence base. These measures do not mean the work is complete, but they show that Ireland has moved menopause from silence to policy, services, data and public debate.
We call on the Irish Presidency to champion a practical European roadmap on menopause and women’s health, linked to existing EU priorities rather than treated as a marginal issue. This should include better medical training, stronger workplace guidance, improved access to treatment and awareness campaigns available across Member States for women’s health to become a lasting Presidency legacy.
“Ireland has shown leadership with free HRT, specialist clinics and educational programmes” - MEP Maria Walsh (EPP, Ireland)
“Menopause care must be taken seriously, and healthcare professionals must be equipped to recognise symptoms and provide the right support” - MEP Kathleen Funchion (The Left, Ireland)
“My priority would be achieving reliable sex-disaggregated data to address inequality and, crucially, to unlock investment in research and development for new therapies and medicines” - MEP Billy Kelleher (Renew, Ireland)
“We need a European strategy for perimenopause that really deals with all the aspects” - MEP Lina Gálvez (S&D, Spain)
“We should exchange best practices from countries already taking action and launch EU-level awareness campaigns” - MEP Veronika Cifrová (Renew, Slovakia)
“Menopause is a major women’s health issue that remains under-discussed and under-diagnosed” - MEP Christophe Clergeau (S&D, France)
Sign up to The Parliament's weekly newsletter
Every Friday our editorial team goes behind the headlines to offer insight and analysis on the key stories driving the EU agenda. Subscribe for free here.