Irish people with infertility can soon avail of public IVF as start date revealed

The government has today (July 25) confirmed the start date for publicly-funded assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatment such as IVF. 

According to the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, eligible patients across Ireland will be entitled to one full cycle of IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) treatment from September 2023. 

Treatment will initially be provided in HSE-approved private clinics, with the first public National Advanced AHR Centre due to open next year. 

Eligibility will be determined by a number of factors, including the body mass index (BMI) of the female patient, the number of existing children, and the number of previous IVF cycles conducted. 

Patients with known clinical causes of infertility and patients where there is no known clinical cause will both be eligible for treatment. 

However, a couple/ individual will not be eligible for publicly funded AHR treatment if either partner/individual has had voluntary sterilisation. 

Additionally, there must not be more than two intending parents of a child born as a result of AHR treatment, and they must be in a relationship for at least one year. 

The intending birth mother must be a maximum age of 40 years plus 364 days at time of referral to a regional fertility hub, while the maximum referring age for males is 59 years plus 364 days. 

The BMI of an intending birth mother must be within the range of 18.5 kg/m2 – 30.0 kg/m2. 

Minister Donnelly said, "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."

He continued: "The service we’re announcing is one that involves highly complex issues, and we are committed to ensuring that patient safety and regulation lie at the heart of service provision.

"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.

"I look forward to progressing this Bill and to ultimately expanding advanced AHR services to wider categories so that we can help more people to fulfil their wish of starting a family." 

Under the Model of Care for Fertility, people with fertility-related issues should first be treated through the public health service at the lowest level of intervention necessary. 

Minister Donnelly added: "In establishing eligibility criteria, 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.

"In developing these services in a careful, phased manner, I am committed to ensuring that we can expand eligibility criteria as soon as possible.

"Today we are taking a significant first step and I would like to thank all involved in getting us to this stage. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the work of officials in my department, the HSE, clinicians and the private providers who agreed to provide the treatment in their facilities."

Public funding of a number of specific services is being commenced on a structured and phased basis, such as treatment involving the use of donated gametes (sperm and eggs). 

This will not be available in September for heterosexual couples, same-sex couples or single female patients.