Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Beannachtaí Lá Fhéile Bríde oraibh go léir. I will be quick as I am sharing time with Senator Fiona O'Loughlin who has a long track record of advocating in the Dáil for a publicly funded IVF system.

As we know, the statistics show that infertility affects one in six couples and affects men and women equally. Having lived through the highs and lows of five IVF cycles, with the worry, waiting, failures and pain involved, I strongly believe the State does not do enough to support couples facing this challenge. I was one of the lucky ones. I could afford cycles and eventually we hit the jackpot. So many people cannot even afford one cycle, let alone several. Many spend every single penny they have on IVF, sometimes unsuccessfully. The cost of IVF in Ireland can start at €4,500 but, realistically, with blood tests and consultations, it can end up costing close to €10,000.

In 2019, the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, set out an ambitious roadmap for IVF services. The first step involved GP visits, while the second was the establishment of regional IVF fertility hubs and the third was to be the provision of IVF.The third step was the provision of IVF. The problem with the scheme was that the then Minister only allocated €2 million. Clearly, €2 million does not go far enough so what we are looking for today is a properly funded public health IVF scheme.

The assisted human reproduction Bill goes some way in providing safeguards to patients in the form of regulation. Fertility clinics in Ireland are regulated by the Health Products Regulatory Authority but there is still no body that oversees the fertility industry generally. The Bill needs massive improvement due to the changes in genetics and modern medicine. People who are desperate to have a child are the most vulnerable and open to exploitation. They face mental, physical and relational challenges and on top of it all, huge financial barriers.