Family planning services for medical card holders attending one of the State's busiest clinics have been suspended because of a lack of funding, according to the Irish Family Planning Association.
The IFPA said it has no money left to fund services for medical card holders attending its clinic in Cathal Brugha Street in Dublin for the rest of this year. Services at the association's clinic in Tallaght are not affected.
However, the Northern Area Health Board said the financial support it provides for the IFPA's family planning services has increased massively in recent years.
It said the association was warned early this year that further increases in this year's budget would not be possible, because of funding pressures on the board.
The service in the north inner city started in 2000, with a grant of €20,000. This increased to €63,000 and €114,000 in 2001 and 2002, respectively. This year's grant is €154,000 but the IFPA said this money ran out in mid-September and it has been footing the cost of planning family services provided to medical card holders since then.
The board said it will seek to increase funding next year, "subject to availability of funding".
The IFPA said the suspension of funding could have "serious consequences" for clients and could lead to an increase in crisis pregnancies. "This Government has committed itself to the task of reducing crisis pregnancy. However, the lack of funding for an important prevention service flies in the face of this," a spokeswoman said.
