Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
1006. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the age-related criteria and the clinical or medical circumstances under which a patient awaiting fertility treatment including IVF at the Coombe Hospital may be prioritised for an urgent appointment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14550/26]
View answerThe Model of Care for Fertility was developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE.
Under the Model of Care for Fertility referrals for publicly-funded, privately-provided assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatment are subject to patients meeting the access criteria agreed by the Department and the HSE. These access criteria were developed by a multi-disciplinary expert group together with a review of international evidence in the field. These criteria include, for example, restrictions in respect of maternal age, body mass index (BMI), and the number of previous IVF cycles / AHR procedures undertaken.
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 various types of procedures and interventions including: relevant blood tests, semen analysis, assessment of tubal patency, hysteroscopy, laparoscopy, fertility-related surgeries, ovulation induction and follicle tracking, which are available at the Regional Fertility Hub level.
Once a couple is clinically determined as appropriate for advanced treatment and they meet the national access criteria, then further to them consenting to such treatment and consenting to a referral being made to their chosen private providers, a referral is made for them within a matter of working days, with private providers providing an initial consultation to referred public patients within a six-week period, if not earlier. Furthermore, there is no average time for a referral from a Regional Fertility Hub to a private provider, as each couple is unique and need to be managed according to their circumstances. Some couples have very complex conditions that may require surgical intervention, while others may have a previously-diagnosed fertility issue.
More information is available on the HSE website in respect of the publicly-funded AHR treatment initiative, including more details on the access criteria and specific services available, at:
www2.hse.ie/pregnancy-birth/trying-for-a-baby/your-fertility/getting-ivf-icsi-iui-hse/
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 those requiring, and eligible for, advanced AHR treatment such as IVF can access same through the most effective deployment of finite public resources.
