Pregnancy
The Maternity and Infant Care Scheme provides free care from a GP and a hospital obstetric team for every woman ordinarily resident in Ireland, regardless of income or medical card status. Maternity Benefit covers twenty-six weeks, with a further sixteen weeks of unpaid leave available. Parent's Leave, separate and shorter, is available to both parents in the first two years.
Ireland's Maternity and Infant Care Scheme gives every expectant mother, regardless of income or insurance, a combined programme of GP visits and hospital care free of charge. Maternity leave is twenty-six weeks paid by the state at a flat rate, with a further sixteen weeks unpaid, and parent's leave has been extended in stages for both parents. Private and semi-private options exist but do not change the entitlement.
Key points
| Scheme | Maternity and Infant Care Scheme: free GP and hospital care |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Every woman ordinarily resident, regardless of income |
| Appointments | Alternating GP and hospital visits through the pregnancy |
| Maternity Benefit | Twenty-six weeks paid, plus sixteen weeks unpaid |
| Parent's Leave | Additional weeks for each parent in the first two years |
| Place of birth | Hospital maternity units; home birth available through a national scheme |
| After birth | Two GP visits for the mother and developmental checks for the baby |
In practice
- Register with a participating GP early: the scheme runs through them.
- Apply for Maternity Benefit at least six weeks before you intend to start leave.
- The scheme covers care for conditions unrelated to pregnancy too, such as diabetes, during the pregnancy.
- Parent's Leave is use-it-or-lose-it within the first two years.
Cost and coverage
Care under the scheme is free; Maternity Benefit is a flat weekly rate.
Recent changes
Parent's leave has been extended in successive budgets and is now available to both parents in the child's first two years, paid at the flat state rate; employers may but need not top it up.
Where to go
- Participating GPs under the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme.
- Hospital maternity units and the national home birth service.
- Public health nurses for care after birth.
Worth knowing
The scheme is not means-tested and does not depend on holding a medical card. Many women pay privately without realising that the public pathway is free.
Frequently asked questions
Is maternity care free in Ireland?
Yes, under the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme, which covers antenatal visits shared between your GP and the hospital, the delivery, and postnatal checks, for every woman ordinarily resident in Ireland. It does not depend on income or on holding a medical card.
How long is maternity leave?
Twenty-six weeks with a state benefit at a flat weekly rate, plus sixteen weeks unpaid if you want it. Parent's leave, available to both parents in the child's first two years, has been extended several times and is paid at the same rate.
The general article: Pregnancy · Compare with another country
Periods and period products
Ireland has never charged VAT on tampons, sanitary towels or panty liners: its zero rate predates the EU rules restricting zero-rating and was kept under a grandfather clause, which made Ireland the only member state at zero until Austria followed in 2026. Free provision has no statutory basis; since 2021 the government has funded free products in higher-education institutions, libraries and some public services through the Period Poverty Implementation Group, and charities distribute the rest.
There is no menstrual leave in employment law; absence is sick leave, with statutory sick pay for a limited number of days a year and employer schemes beyond that.
Endometriosis is covered by the HSE's National Endometriosis Framework, published in 2023, which organises care in three tiers with two supra-regional centres for complex disease, at Tallaght University Hospital and Cork University Maternity Hospital, and regional services elsewhere. Access runs through the GP, with public waiting lists; private gynaecology is faster but paid. The Endometriosis Association of Ireland supports patients.
Reusable products carry the same zero rate; nothing is reimbursed.
Key points
| VAT | 0 %, grandfathered from before 1991 |
|---|---|
| Free provision | Funded programmes in higher education, libraries and some public services since 2021; charities |
| Menstrual leave | None; sick leave |
| Endometriosis | HSE National Endometriosis Framework 2023; supra-regional centres in Tallaght and Cork |
| Reusable products | 0 %, not reimbursed |
In practice
- Ask the students' union or library whether free products are stocked; availability varies.
- For suspected endometriosis, ask the GP for referral to a regional endometriosis service; the framework sets the pathway.
- If cost is a barrier, charities such as the Homeless Period Ireland network distribute products.
What it costs
A cycle costs roughly €4 to €10 in disposables, tax-free. Nothing is reimbursed; free provision through programmes and charities.
What has changed recently
The endometriosis framework of 2023 created the first dedicated public pathway; free product programmes have grown since 2021 without becoming a legal right.
Where to find help
- HSE: National Endometriosis Framework and services.
- Endometriosis Association of Ireland.
- Department of Health: period poverty measures.
- Homeless Period Ireland: product distribution.
Worth knowing
Zero VAT has applied for decades, so it explains nothing about Irish prices, which are among the higher in Europe. Compare brands and own labels.
Frequently asked questions
Is there VAT on period products in Ireland?
No, and there never has been under the current system; Ireland kept its zero rate under a grandfather clause.
Are period products free in Irish schools?
Not by law. Funded programmes cover higher education and some public services; charities help elsewhere.
Where is endometriosis treated?
Through the HSE framework: GP, regional services, and the supra-regional centres in Tallaght and Cork for complex cases.
Sources
- HSE — endometriosis services — National Endometriosis Framework
- Endometriosis Association of Ireland — patient association
The general article: Periods and period products · Compare with another country
Sex therapy
No protected title and statutory registration of counsellors still pending; psychosexual therapy is mostly private, with two charities offering reduced fees.
Ireland has designated counsellors and psychotherapists for statutory regulation under CORU, the health and social care regulator, but the register has not yet opened, so anyone may still use those titles — and, a fortiori, “sex therapist” or “psychosexual therapist”. Doctors are regulated by the Medical Council; psychologists are also headed for CORU registration. Until the registers open, the safeguards are voluntary accreditation by professional bodies and ordinary consumer law.
There is no Irish qualification specific to sex therapy. Practitioners are counsellors, psychotherapists or psychologists who have completed a postgraduate course in psychosexual therapy, most often accredited in the United Kingdom by COSRT, and doctors trained by the Institute of Psychosexual Medicine. Accreditation with the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the Irish Council for Psychotherapy or the Psychological Society of Ireland indicates a supervised, accountable practitioner even if it says nothing specific about sex therapy.
The Health Service Executive runs free sexual health clinics for infections and contraception, and its mental health services see sexual difficulties only when they are part of a wider condition. Dedicated psychosexual therapy in the public system is scarce. Two charities fill the gap: Accord and Relationships Ireland both offer psychosexual therapy with fees adjusted to income.
Privately, a session costs roughly €70 to €120. There is no public reimbursement. Private health insurers refund part of a limited number of counselling or psychotherapy sessions a year, generally only with practitioners accredited by one of the recognised bodies; check your plan before booking. A GP visit is charged unless you hold a medical card or GP visit card.
Key points
| Title | Not protected; counsellor and psychotherapist not yet registered by CORU |
|---|---|
| Regulated professions nearby | Doctor (Medical Council); psychologists heading for CORU registration |
| Training | UK COSRT-accredited courses; Institute of Psychosexual Medicine for doctors |
| Public services | HSE sexual health clinics free; dedicated psychosexual therapy scarce |
| Reduced-fee therapy | Accord and Relationships Ireland, fees by income |
| Private cost | About €70–€120 a session; no public reimbursement |
| Private insurance | Partial refund of a few sessions a year with accredited practitioners, plan-dependent |
In practice
- Ask which psychosexual course the therapist completed and which body accredits them; the IACP, ICP and PSI keep searchable directories.
- Contact Accord or Relationships Ireland if cost is a barrier.
- See your GP first for physical symptoms; erectile dysfunction, pain and hormonal problems are investigated through the usual referral pathways.
- Check your health insurance policy for counselling benefits and the list of recognised accreditations.
Cost and reimbursement
Private: €70–€120 a session, out of pocket; insurers may refund part of a handful of sessions. Charities: fee by income. HSE sexual health clinics: free.
What has changed recently
CORU confirmed in 2025 and 2026 that statutory regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists is still being prepared, without a date for opening the register. Until then, no minimum training is legally required.
Where to go
- Accord and Relationships Ireland: psychosexual therapy at reduced fees.
- HSE sexual health services: free clinics.
- IACP, ICP and Psychological Society of Ireland: directories of accredited practitioners.
- CORU: progress on regulation of counsellors and psychotherapists.
Worth knowing
With no register open, the title tells you nothing. Ask for the qualification, the accrediting body and the supervisor; a practitioner who has all three will not mind the question.
Frequently asked questions
Is sex therapy available through the HSE?
Rarely as a dedicated service. Sexual health clinics deal with infections and contraception; mental health services see sexual problems within wider conditions. Charities cover much of the need.
Will my health insurance pay?
Possibly a share of a few counselling sessions a year, if the therapist is accredited by a body your insurer recognises. Check the policy.
Are counsellors regulated in Ireland?
Not yet. They have been designated for CORU registration, but the register has not opened; accreditation by the IACP, ICP or PSI remains voluntary.
Sources
- CORU — Counsellors and Psychotherapists Registration Board — progress of statutory regulation
- Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy — directory of accredited practitioners
The general article: Sex therapy · Compare with another country
Mental health
Free public services with long waits, and a well-established network of charity helplines.
Public mental health services are free, organised by area, and reached through a GP. Waiting times, particularly for children and adolescents, are the persistent difficulty. A dense network of charities provides free counselling and round-the-clock listening lines, and often fills the gap while people wait. Detention is governed by the Mental Health Act, with automatic independent review.
Public mental health services in Ireland are free but rationed: access to a community mental health team runs through your GP, and waiting times for psychology, particularly for children and adolescents, are long enough that many families go private. The gap is filled by a dense network of charity services — helplines, text lines and low-cost counselling — which carry a great deal of the everyday load.
Key points
| Public services | Free, organised by area, accessed through a GP |
|---|---|
| Waiting times | Long, especially for children and adolescents |
| Charities | Free counselling and round-the-clock listening lines |
| Detention | Mental Health Act, with automatic independent tribunal review |
| Young people | Dedicated free services for under-25s in most towns |
| Private | Widely used; some cost is recoverable through tax relief |
| Text lines | Free crisis text services available at any hour |
In practice
- Ask your GP for the referral, then contact a charity service for support while you wait.
- Services for under-25s take direct contact, without a GP referral.
- Keep receipts for private therapy: some medical expenses qualify for tax relief.
- Crisis text lines are free and answered at any hour, including from a phone with no credit.
Cost and coverage
Public services are free; private therapy may qualify for tax relief on medical expenses.
Where to go
- Community mental health teams, through a GP.
- Charity counselling services and round-the-clock listening lines.
- Free youth mental health services for under-25s.
Worth knowing
Waiting lists for child and adolescent services are the weak point of the system. Ask explicitly about the current wait, and about primary-care psychology as a faster alternative.
Frequently asked questions
How do you access public mental health care?
Through your GP, who refers to the community mental health team for your area. For milder difficulties the GP may refer to a counselling service in primary care, which is free for medical card holders. Emergency presentations go to the hospital emergency department, where a liaison psychiatry service operates.
What if the wait is too long?
Charity services fill the gap: national helplines and text lines operate around the clock, and several organisations offer free or low-cost counselling with much shorter waits. Private therapy costs roughly €60 to €100 a session; some health insurance policies contribute.
The general article: Mental health · Compare with another country
Dental care
A modest PRSI entitlement, a medical card scheme, and a private market that carries most of the cost.
The Treatment Benefit Scheme funded by PRSI contributions entitles insured workers and retirees to a free annual examination and a partial contribution towards a scaling and polish. The Dental Treatment Services Scheme covers medical card holders for examinations, fillings and extractions. Everything else is private.
The free annual examination under the Treatment Benefit Scheme is widely under-used, largely because people do not know it exists.
The Dental Treatment Services Scheme has been under strain, with many dentists withdrawing from it, which has made access harder for medical card holders.
Orthodontics is available through the public orthodontic service for children who meet a clinical need threshold, with long waiting lists; everyone else pays privately.
Implants and whitening are entirely private.
Cross-border treatment in Northern Ireland and elsewhere in the European Union can be reimbursed under the Cross-Border Directive at Irish rates.
Key points
| Treatment Benefit Scheme | Free annual examination, contribution to scaling, for PRSI contributors |
|---|---|
| Medical card | Examinations, fillings and extractions under the DTSS |
| Orthodontics | Public service for children meeting a clinical threshold, with waiting lists |
| Implants and whitening | Entirely private |
In practice
- Claim your free annual examination: the dentist checks your eligibility electronically at the appointment.
- Keep receipts: dental expenses other than routine treatment can attract tax relief at the standard rate on form Med 2.
- Ask about the Cross-Border Directive before travelling for major work.
Cost and coverage
Examination free under PRSI. Scaling €30–€80 after the contribution. Crown €700–€1,100. Implant €2,000–€2,800. Orthodontics €3,500–€6,000.
Recent changes
Reform of the public dental schemes has been under discussion, with the aim of widening entitlements beyond examinations and extractions.
Where to go
- Treatment Benefit Scheme, Department of Social Protection.
- HSE Dental Treatment Services Scheme, for medical card holders.
- Dental Council of Ireland register.
- Dublin Dental University Hospital and Cork University Dental School.
Worth knowing
Tax relief on non-routine dental expenses is claimed on form Med 2, signed by the dentist. It is widely forgotten and is worth 20 % of the cost of crowns, bridges, root treatment and orthodontics.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get a free check-up?
Yes, once a year, if you have enough PRSI contributions.
Can I claim tax relief?
Yes, at the standard rate, on non-routine treatment, using form Med 2.
The general article: Dental care · Compare with another country
HIV and AIDS
Free PrEP through a national programme since 2019, and free testing and treatment in the public system.
Ireland introduced a free national PrEP programme in 2019, delivered through designated public and voluntary services. HIV testing is free at sexual health clinics and through a national postal self-testing service, and antiretroviral treatment is provided free in the public system regardless of medical card status.
Ireland provides HIV treatment free through the public system and funds PrEP through a national programme delivered at designated clinics. Free home-testing kits are posted anywhere in the country, which removed the main practical barrier to testing. Late diagnosis remains the principal clinical problem, and community organisations run rapid testing outside clinical settings.
Key points
| Cost | Testing, treatment and PrEP are free in the public system |
|---|---|
| PrEP | National programme since 2019, delivered through designated services |
| Postal testing | Free HIV and STI home test kits available nationally |
| PEP | From emergency departments and sexual health services |
| Clinics | Public STI clinics, free and confidential, in each health area |
| Community testing | Rapid testing offered by voluntary organisations |
In practice
- Order a free home test kit online: it covers HIV and other infections.
- PrEP is free but capacity is limited; book early with a designated service.
- For PEP, attend an emergency department without waiting.
- Community organisations offer rapid testing with results in minutes.
Cost and coverage
Testing, treatment and PrEP are free through the public system.
Where to go
- Public STI clinics of the health service.
- HIV Ireland and the Sexual Health Centre.
- Emergency departments for post-exposure prophylaxis.
Worth knowing
PrEP is free but demand exceeds capacity in some areas. If a designated service has a waiting list, ask which other services in the programme have shorter waits.
Frequently asked questions
Is PrEP free in Ireland?
Yes, through the national PrEP programme at designated services, which covers the medication and the associated monitoring for people at substantial risk. Places are limited at some clinics, so waiting times vary by location — ask about alternative sites if your nearest is full.
Sources
- HSE Sexual Wellbeing — free testing, including home test kits
Hepatitis B
Universal infant vaccination since 2008, with free antenatal screening and treatment.
Ireland introduced hepatitis B into the routine infant schedule in 2008, in the combined vaccine. Antenatal screening is universal, and infants born to carriers receive vaccine at birth with immunoglobulin where indicated. Treatment of chronic infection is provided through the public hepatology services.
Ireland introduced universal infant hepatitis B vaccination in 2008 as part of the combined vaccine, so younger cohorts are protected while adults born earlier generally are not. Antenatal screening is offered universally, and infants born to positive mothers receive a birth dose and immunoglobulin where indicated.
Key points
| Infant vaccination | Universal since 2008, in the combined vaccine |
|---|---|
| Adults | Those born before 2008 are largely unvaccinated unless offered it occupationally |
| Antenatal screening | Universal |
| Babies of carriers | Vaccine at birth, with immunoglobulin where indicated |
| Testing | Free at public STI clinics and through GPs |
| Treatment | Through public hepatology services |
| Migrant health | Testing recommended for people from higher prevalence countries |
In practice
- Check whether you were vaccinated: anyone born before 2008 probably was not.
- Ask for the full serology rather than a single marker.
- After an exposure, attend an emergency department within 48 hours.
Cost and coverage
Testing and treatment are free through the public system.
Where to go
- Public STI clinics and GP practices.
- Hepatology services of the public hospitals.
- Migrant health services and community organisations.
Worth knowing
Vaccinating the household of a carrier is simple, cheap and highly effective. It protects more people for less effort than anything else in this area.
Frequently asked questions
Who should consider catch-up vaccination in Ireland?
Anyone born before 2008 who is in a risk group — partners and household contacts of someone with hepatitis B, people from countries with high prevalence, healthcare workers, people who inject drugs. Vaccination is free for defined groups through public health services.
Sources
- HSE Sexual Wellbeing — free testing, including home test kits
HPV
A free school programme for girls and boys, a catch-up scheme, and HPV primary screening since 2020.
Ireland offers the vaccine free in schools to both girls and boys, and ran a widely publicised catch-up programme for those who missed it. Cervical screening moved to HPV primary testing in 2020, with cytology used only when HPV is detected, and the national programme covers women aged 25 to 65.
Ireland offers free HPV vaccination in schools to girls and boys, and has run a laudable catch-up programme for those who missed it. The national screening programme moved to primary HPV testing in 2020, and the country has set a target date for eliminating cervical cancer. Public confidence collapsed after a vaccine scare and was rebuilt slowly through sustained campaigning.
Key points
| School programme | Free for girls and boys in first year of secondary school |
|---|---|
| Catch-up | A free catch-up scheme has been offered to those who missed the school dose |
| Screening | HPV primary testing since 2020, ages 25 to 65 |
| Interval | Every three years to 29, every five years from 30 |
| Cost | Vaccination and screening are free |
| Elimination target | Ireland has committed to eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem |
In practice
- Check whether you are eligible for the catch-up scheme before paying privately.
- Attend when invited: the register sends reminders.
- A positive HPV result usually means monitoring, not treatment.
- Vaccination does not remove the need for screening.
Cost and coverage
Vaccination and screening are provided free of charge.
Where to go
- School immunisation teams of the health service.
- CervicalCheck, the national screening programme.
- GP practices registered with the screening programme.
Worth knowing
HPV primary screening finds risk earlier but also detects infections that will clear on their own. A positive result most often leads to a repeat test in a year, not to treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a catch-up programme in Ireland?
Yes. A free catch-up has been offered to people who missed the school programme, with eligibility criteria that have changed over time. Check the current age range with the national immunisation office — the offer has been widened more than once.
Sources
- HSE Sexual Wellbeing — free testing, including home test kits
General sources
- Citizens Information — official plain-language guide to rights and entitlements
- Irish Statute Book — legislation as enacted