Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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497. To ask the Minister for Health if he has received correspondence from a person (details supplied) in relation to difficulties in seeking publicly-funded IVF. [55940/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I can confirm to the Deputy that correspondence has been received by my Department from the person concerned and that it has been redirected to the HSE for direct reply.

Regarding the reference to publicly-funded IVF (in-vitro fertilisation), as the Deputy may be aware, a commitment to “introduce a publicly funded model of care for fertility treatment” is included in the Programme for Government.

‎The Model of Care for Fertility was developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme (NWIHP) in order to ensure that fertility-related issues are addressed through the public health system at the lowest level of clinical intervention necessary. ‎

This Model of Care comprises three stages, starting in primary care (i.e., GPs) and extending into secondary care (i.e., Regional Fertility Hubs) and then, where necessary, tertiary care (i.e., IVF and ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection)), with patients being referred onwards through structured pathways.

Phase One of the roll-out of the Model of Care has involved the establishment, at secondary care level, of Regional Fertility Hubs within maternity networks, in order to facilitate the management of a significant proportion of patients presenting with fertility-related issues at this level of intervention. Patients are referred by their GPs to their local Regional Fertility Hub, which provides a range of treatments and interventions. All six Regional Fertility Hubs are currently operational.

Phase Two of the roll-out of the Model of Care relates to the introduction of AHR treatment, including IVF, provided through the public health system at tertiary level. In particular, the first steps have been taken towards achieving the ultimate objective of Government, which is a wholly publicly-provided fertility service.

As an interim measure, funding has been made available to support access to AHR treatment via private providers from September 2023. As well as IVF and ICSI, this allocation is also being used to provide, initially through private clinics, IUI (intrauterine insemination), which can, for certain cohorts of patients, be a potentially effective, yet less complex and less intrusive treatment.

Referrals for AHR treatment by private providers commenced on September 25th 2023 after details of how the new initiative would be initially rolled out – including regarding the set of criteria which prospective patients should meet in order to access fully-funded AHR services and the specific services to be initially funded – were agreed by the Department and NWIHP and then brought to Cabinet in July 2023. The criteria were agreed following consultation with experts in the field of reproductive medicine and include limits in respect of the age of the intending birth mother, body mass index (BMI) and the number of children a couple already have. They are very much in keeping with those applied in other jurisdictions, even though in most European countries, for instance, such treatments are only partially funded and require often significant out-of-pocket payments by patients. More details on public fertility services generally, including information on the new publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative, are available from the HSE at: www2.hse.ie/conditions/fertility-problems-treatments/fertility-treatment/

My Department and the Government are focused, through the full implementation of the Model of Care for Fertility, on ensuring that patients receive care at the appropriate level of clinical intervention and then those requiring, and eligible for, advanced AHR treatment such as IVF will be able to access same through the public health system. The underlying aim of the policy to provide a model of funding for AHR, within the broader new AHR regulatory framework, is 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.

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.

As the Deputy may be aware, management and administrative grade staff in the Fórsa union in the HSE commenced industrial action on Friday, 6 October. As a consequence of this industrial action, members in these grades are not engaging with political forums or processes. As a result, the question asked by the Deputy may be delayed in receiving a response directly from the HSE.

Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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499. To ask the Minister for Health if he is aware of a recent report (details supplied) which found that women in Ireland struggle with breastfeeding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55771/23]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Health welcomes the publication of the first World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) Assessment Report for Ireland and, would like to acknowledge the work of the Core Group in producing this report and the contributions made by many stakeholders.

Encouraging mothers to breastfeed is a priority, both for the Department and for the Health Service Executive (HSE). The WBTi Assessment Report provides a comprehensive overview of a number of policy achievements promoting breastfeeding in Ireland; including the Healthy Ireland Framework, the National Maternity Strategy, the Obesity Policy and Action Plan, and the National Cancer Strategy.

Since 2016, through the Health Service Breastfeeding Action Plan (Breastfeeding in a Healthy Ireland), progress has been realised through supports available for breastfeeding in Ireland. Access to education and training for all healthcare staff has improved to provide evidence-based care to expecting and new parents. In 2021, Minister Donnelly announced additional funding to the HSE of €1.58 million to fund 24 additional lactation consultants to support more new mothers in maternity and primary care settings to breastfeed their infants.

The WBTi report sets out clear objectives for further development which can be used to benchmark future breastfeeding initiatives. The Government remains committed to improving the breastfeeding rates in Ireland and it will remain a priority for new policy development.