Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I again thank Senators Ardagh and O'Loughlin for raising the issue and allowing us to debate it. I should state that the drafting of the AHR Bill and the roll-out of the model of care really are a priority for the Government, for me and obviously a priority for the Senators who have advocated long and very well on this issue, which I thank them for. The drafting and roll-out have been subject to delays due to Covid. Obviously dealing with Covid has pulled the HSE and the Department every which way. It has impacted on the normal work streams and this has been one of them. However, I reiterate to the House that I am committed, as is the Government, to the roll-out of this model of care for infertility in line with the available resources. The end goal is to achieve full implementation of the model of care; that is what really matters and what we must focus on. That means patients always receiving care at the appropriate level of clinical intervention and those who require and are eligible for advanced treatment being able to get it through the public health system, which is so important. I hope this has been of assistance today.