Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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1246. To ask the Minister for Health to examine a case involving publicly funded fertility treatment (details supplied). [45116/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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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., the six Regional Fertility Hubs located across the country) and then, where necessary, AHR (assisted human reproduction) treatment (e.g., IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) 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 six Regional Fertility Hubs within maternity networks covering the entire country, 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.

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.

Appropriate funding has been made available to support access to AHR treatment via HSE-approved private providers. 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 form of treatment.

Referrals for AHR treatment by private providers commenced in September 2023. Criteria prospective patients should meet in order to access fully-funded AHR services and the services to be initially funded were agreed by the Department and the HSE and subsequently approved by Government in July 2023. More details on public fertility services, including information on the publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative, are available from the HSE at: .

It is important to ensure that patients are clinically determined by a consultant in a Regional Fertility Hub for IVF, ICSI or IUI before being referred for such treatment, having undertaken at the Hub, as appropriate, extensive consultation, assessment, and the types of procedures and interventions outlined above which are available at the secondary care level. Therefore, only eligible patients who are referred from a Regional Fertility Hub can avail of the new publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative and there will be no reimbursement for patients who have paid for treatment privately.

It should be noted that a defined list of fertility medicines needed for fertility treatment is covered under the High Tech Arrangements administered by the HSE. 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 Primary Care Reimbursement Service. The cost of the medicines – which I understand in most instances is not insignificant – is then covered, as appropriate, under the client’s eligibility, i.e. Medical Card or Drugs Payment Scheme.

In addition, there is other support available in that patients who access IVF, or other advanced AHR treatment, privately may claim tax relief on the costs involved under the tax relief for medical expenses scheme.

I want to reassure the Deputy that 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.