Ireland’s state-funded IVF: what you need to know

Earlier today, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced full public funding for a cycle of IVF. Eligible applicants include those who have availed of one privately funded cycle as well as those who have never availed of any. 

Patients will be entitled to one full cycle of IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) treatment, initially provided in HSE-approved private clinics of their choice ahead of the opening next year of the first public National Advanced AHR Centre.

The Minister also set out details of eligibility criteria which set parameters in respect of the ages of the intending parents, the female patient’s body mass index (BMI), the number of existing children and the number of previous IVF cycles accessed. Patients with known clinical causes of infertility and patients where there is no known clinical cause will be eligible for treatment. “We have considered an array of factors to ensure that public money is being used to fund clinically-safe care that prioritises the safety and wellbeing of the child and mother,” Donnelly said. 

Given the complex regulatory and clinical issues still to be addressed in respect of certain categories of AHR treatment, public funding of a number of specific services is being commenced on a structured and phased basis.

Therefore, treatment involving the use of donated gametes (sperm and eggs) will not be available in September for heterosexual or same-sex couples or single female patients. It’s hoped that this treatment will become available as soon as possible but many LGBTQIA+ couples across Ireland will be left disappointed by the news. 

Today’s decision on IVF/IUI funding is very disappointing for many LGBT families.

The decision to bar those who use a donor from the funding scheme means that all same-sex couples will be excluded.

There is no justification for this.

— LGBT Ireland (@LGBT_ie) July 25, 2023

“This government recognises the difficult circumstances faced by so many people who long to have a child but who are unable to do so without clinical intervention. That is why a commitment to introduce a publicly-funded model of care for fertility treatment is included in the Programme for Government. Today marks a very important milestone in achieving that objective,” Minister Donnelly said of the announcement.

Acknowledging that the proposed service involves “highly complex issues”, he confirmed that government is committed to ensuring patient safety and regulation lie at the heart of it all. “Work is continuing on the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill which will ultimately allow us to improve accessibility to AHR treatments, while at the same time embedding safe and appropriate clinical practice and ensuring the cost-effective use of public resources,” he added. 

Under the Model of Care for Fertility, people with fertility-related issues should be treated through the public health service at the lowest level of intervention necessary. In the first instance, people will present to their GP for a consultation and, if appropriate, they will be referred to their local Regional Fertility Hub, which provides a range of treatments and interventions for both males and females.

From September, where IVF, ICSI or IUI is clinically indicated, eligible patients will be referred by the Reproductive Medical Consultant in the Regional Fertility Hub for publicly-funded treatment in a HSE-approved private clinic of their choice.

Female patients who meet the criteria will be eligible for treatment if they have been referred by their GP to a regional fertility hub before their 41st birthday.

€10 million in funding was allocated in Budget 2023 for IVF funding and to support access to advanced AHR treatments, with the Department of Health planning to expand the services offered and the number of people who can avail of them over time.

The Model of Care for Fertility was developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP). It comprises three stages, starting in primary care (i.e. GPs) and extending into secondary care (i.e. Regional Fertility Hubs) and then, where necessary, tertiary care (i.e. IVF), ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) and other advanced assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments.

The first National Advanced AHR Centre, delivering IVF and ICSI through a wholly public clinic, is scheduled to open in early 2024 and will provide a nationwide service, with all six Regional Fertility Hubs having equity of access for onward referral to it, via a shared care pathway. It’s envisaged that additional centres will be developed elsewhere in the country, dependent on funding. 

Full eligibility criteria for patients accessing publicly-funded IVF, ICSI and IUI treatments can be found here. 

Photo by Christian Bowen on Unsplash