Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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2548. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider funding a second round of IVF for couples who have no children and were unsuccessful with round one of IVF; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40804/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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2721. To ask the Minister for Health if a person can receive funding from the HSE for fertility treatment for a second child utilising the frozen embryos from the initial round of HSE-funded fertility treatment for their first child, rather than undergoing a new round of IVF, given that utilising the frozen embryos would be more cost effective (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41702/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 2548 and 2721 together.

The Model of Care for Fertility was developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme 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 elements, starting in primary care (i.e., GPs) and extending into secondary care (i.e., the six Regional Fertility Hubs located across the country) and, where necessary, the provision of AHR (assisted human reproduction) treatment (e.g., IVF (in-vitro fertilisation), ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection) and IUI (intrauterine insemination)), with patients being referred onwards through structured pathways.

Referrals for publicly funded, privately provided AHR treatment commenced in September 2023, subject to patients meeting the criteria agreed by the Department and the HSE in order to avail of the fully-funded AHR services. These criteria 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 information is available on the HSE website in respect of the publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative at:

www2.hse.ie/pregnancy-birth/trying-for-a-baby/your-fertility/getting-ivf-icsi-iui-hse/

or on public fertility services more generally at:

www2.hse.ie/conditions/fertility-problems-treatments/fertility-treatment/

I was pleased to announce recently that, from June 30th 2025, an important criterion for accessing state-funded AHR treatment has been broadened. Couples with one existing child in their relationship, and who meet all the other current access criteria, can now access publicly-funded AHR treatment. including one full cycle of IVF or ICSI, if they are referred for same by a Reproductive Specialist Consultant within one of the six HSE-run Regional Fertility Hubs. Previously, couples with one child in their current relationship were not eligible to access publicly-funded AHR treatment.

There are no other changes being made at this time to the access criteria or the range of services provided through this initiative. Therefore, the criterion regarding the number of previous IVF cycles / AHR procedures undertaken which requires patients only being eligible if they have had no more than one privately-funded IVF cycle and there are no remaining frozen embryos from that cycle remains.

In addition, it should be noted that couples referred for IVF or ICSI will be offered a maximum of one IVF or ICSI cycle which comprises one episode of ovarian stimulation, egg retrieval, fertilisation and transfer of one fresh embryo (if appropriate, with single embryo transfer as standard), followed by the freezing of other suitable embryos and the subsequent publicly-funded transfer of such frozen embryos (provided the patient(s) still fulfil all the access criteria) until depletion or a live birth has been achieved. The State will also pay for the storage costs of any remaining frozen embryos for two years subsequent to a live birth. At the same time, the publicly funded AHR treatment scheme allows for a maximum of two cancelled IVF/ICSI cycles (instances where, based on clinical determination, the egg collection procedure did not proceed following ovarian stimulation). A publicly funded cycle could also potentially include a Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) procedure, for instance.

As new evidence becomes available and a greater understanding of how the service provision is working in practice emerges, the access criteria and the AHR treatment initiative is kept under ongoing review. The details in respect of any further potential changes to the access criteria or the scheme more broadly requires extensive consultation between Department officials, colleagues in the HSE and also with relevant specialists in the field of reproductive medicine. As the Deputy will be aware consideration of all policy and related developments must be considered in the context of value for money, finite public resources and importantly that patients receive care at the appropriate level of clinical intervention.