Minister for Health announces plans to roll out a Model of Care for Infertility
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 19 December 2019
- Last updated on: 11 April 2025
Minister for Health Simon Harris TD has today (19 December) received Government approval to publicly fund infertility services.
Minister Harris also received approval for a model of care for infertility, which will ensure that infertility issues will be addressed through the public health system at the lowest level of clinical intervention necessary.
The model of care will comprise three stages, starting in primary care and extending into secondary and tertiary care.
Structured referral pathways will be put in place and patients will be referred onwards for further investigations or treatment as required and as clinically appropriate:
- Primary Care: GPs will, as normal, offer initial counselling, define the infertility issues, undertake baseline investigations, and review lifestyle factors. Where required, the patient will be referred for further investigations and/or treatment to secondary care
- Secondary Care: Regional fertility hubs will be developed in each maternity network. Each regional hub will be networked with a national tertiary Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) centre, to which patients will be referred, as required
- Tertiary Care: IVF and other advanced AHR treatments will be provided in 2/3 National AHR Centres
Phase One of the roll-out of the model of care will see the development of infertility services at secondary care level.
Funding of €2 million will be provided to develop regional fertility hubs in maternity networks, which will facilitate the management of a significant proportion of patients presenting with infertility issues.
Minister Harris said:
“It is important we don’t focus solely on IVF treatment. We believe 50 to 70 per cent of people presenting with fertility issues can have their issues resolved at the Regional Fertility Hubs.”
Phase Two will see the introduction of tertiary infertility services, including IVF, in the public health system. This cannot commence until the service is regulated through the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill.
Minister Harris said:
“I believe that this model of care for infertility will ensure the provision of safe, effective and accessible services through the public health system as part of the full range of services available in obstetrics and gynaecology.
“The emphasis at this point is on building up services across the country to enable a considerable number of patients presenting with infertility issues to be managed without the need to undergo invasive IVF or other advanced AHR treatment.
“Work will commence immediately to develop the first regional hubs in Dublin and Cork. By first concentrating on getting the fundamentals right particularly at secondary care level, we will be in a position to estimate the demand for tertiary AHR treatment and the requisite resources to commence these services.”
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
The development of a model of care for infertility will help to ensure the provision of safe, effective and accessible infertility services as part of the full range of services available in obstetrics and gynaecology. The work to develop the model of care for infertility has taking place in parallel with the ongoing drafting of assisted human reproduction (AHR) legislation.
The government approved the drafting of a bill on AHR and associated areas of research, based on the published General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill. This comprehensive piece of legislation encompasses the regulation of a range of practices, including: gamete (sperm or egg) and embryo donation for AHR and research; surrogacy; pre-implantation genetic diagnosis of embryos; posthumous assisted reproduction; and embryo and stem cell research. The General Scheme also provides for an independent regulatory authority for AHR. The provisions outlined within the General Scheme will ensure that AHR practices and related areas of research are conducted in a more consistent and standardised way and with the necessary oversight.
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health published the report of its review of the General Scheme on 11 July 2019, as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny process, which began in January 2018. Given the comprehensive scope of the legislation and the ethical, legal and social issues which arise from AHR practices, it is anticipated that certain areas of the General Scheme will require further consideration and refinement during the ongoing process of drafting the Bill, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. The Joint Committee’s Report and its recommendations will be considered as part of the drafting process.
Existing Supports for AHR
While advanced AHR treatment such as IVF is not currently funded by the HSE, a defined list of fertility medicines needed for fertility treatment is covered under the High Tech Arrangements. Medicines covered by the High Tech Arrangements must be prescribed by a consultant/specialist and authorised for supply to the client’s nominated community pharmacy by the High Tech Hub managed by the HSE’s Primary Care Reimbursement Service. The cost of the medicines is then covered, as appropriate, under the client’s eligibility, that is, Medical Card or Drugs Payment Scheme. The impact on the total cost of AHR treatment for individuals who avail of these schemes is not insignificant. In addition, there is other support available in that patients who access IVF treatment privately may claim tax relief on the costs involved under the tax relief for medical expenses scheme.