Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 July 2026
557. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the status of a proposal to introduce publicly funded pre-natal testing (details supplied); the date on which she received the initial proposal; the date on which she received the revised proposal; the timeline she is working towards in concluding the negotiations; the expected cost; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54604/26]
View answerI and this government are committed to ensuring fair access to high-quality maternity and reproductive healthcare services.
Congenital anomalies affect approximately 2–3% of pregnancies in Ireland, with aneuploidy being a leading cause of foetal and neonatal mortality. The development of a National Prenatal Screening Programme, including non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) for aneuploidy, has been recommended by both the O’Shea Review and the Regan Review conducted under Section 11 of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. The Government is giving active consideration to proposals for a publicly funded NIPS/NIPT programme through the HSE planning and service development process. The proposal remains under review, with ongoing engagement between the HSE and the Department of Health regarding the policy, clinical and funding requirements necessary to support its implementation.
