Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Can I give the Deputy an example? It is a topical one that I was quite surprised at myself. He will be aware that we are funding free IVF as of September. We hope to expand that. What I had not realised when I was looking at funding for this and the kind of new development funding we need was that the State had already been subsidising private IVF. The medicines required for IVF might cost in the region of €6,000 to €9,000. The amount a couple has to pay for €6,000 or €9,000 worth of drugs is €80. They get it in one month or it might be over two months, in which case the State is providing, say, €8,000 worth of medicine for €80. There are already tens of millions, believe it or not, in that €3.2 billion for providing these medicines for IVF next to free, for 1% of the cost. The State is paying the other 99%.