Over 1,000 couples have been referred for publicly funded Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) treatment in Ireland in less than 11 months, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said.
Around 125 couples each month are being referred through the HSE’s regional fertility hubs for publicly funded AHR treatment provided in approved private clinics.
There are a total of six regional fertility hubs in the country to address issues related to fertility.
Since the introduction of publicly funded AHR treatment, Minister Donnell said Ireland has reached an important milestone with more than 1,000 referrals to private clinics.
“For so many couples who face the very difficult emotional and physical challenges infertility issues present, publicly funded treatment has given them hope of becoming parents,” the Minister said.
“We are already aware of the first live births resulting from publicly funded AHR treatment, and I would like to warmly congratulate those parents,” he continued. “I am committed to expanding AHR provision. As this service develops, we expect to see around 1,500 referrals over the course of a full year.”
He further stated that the government is committed to providing a full publicly provided fertility service, with the first public national AHR centre scheduled to open in Cork next year.
The HSE advises people experiencing fertility issues to report to their GP as the first step. If further treatment is required, they may be referred to their local regional fertility hub, which provides a host of treatments and interventions for both males and females.
Patients referred for treatment can avail of one full cycle of IVF (in-vitro fertilisation) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection) treatment, or up to three episodes of IUI (intrauterine insemination), provided in a HSE-approved private clinic of their choice.
Publicly funded AHR is not means tested, and, therefore, providing details about your income is not required to avail this service.